It’s not very often our Photo Of The Day is taken by myself, but here’s an exception. This is the Rheinmetall SSW40 – Squad Support Weapon 40mm, shown at EnforceTac in the spring of 2023.

The SSW40 looks very futuristic, yet we know the future is already here. According to Rheinmetall, it’s the world’s first semi-automatic, magazine-loaded, shoulder-fired grenade launcher. It fires a wide range of 40mm ammunition, like HE Fragmentation, Anti-Tank, Door Breaching, Air Burst (HEAB) to Sound & Flash and Stimulus Ammunition. The ergonomics are very rifle-like, and thanks to the magazine it’s possible to quickly switch from one ammunition to another, depending on the scenario.

The use of medium-velocity ammunition allows for a much flatter trajectory of the grenades, and according to Rheinmetall, the effective range can be as far as 900 meters. To compare, normally a hand-carried grenade launcher reaches out to about 300-400 meters.

Rheinmetall SSW40