The Finnish Defence Forces (Puolustusvoimat), acting through the Finnish Army Command (Maavoimat), have awarded an €84.5 million ($94 million) contract to German defense prime Dynamit Nobel Defence (DND) for the procurement of the RGW110 (Recoilless Grenade Weapon 110mm) single-use anti-armour weapon system.
Announced on October 28, 2026, by Colonel Ari Mure, Inspector of the Infantry, the acquisition encompasses all-weather firing units, specialized indoor and outdoor training simulators, and initial logistical support packages, with series deliveries scheduled to commence in 2027. Selected to phase out the Finnish Army’s legacy RAC 112 APILAS (112mm) shoulder-launched weapons acquired from France in the mid-1980s, the 110mm RGW110 will serve as the infantry’s primary, disposable heavy close-range tank killer. The system complements Finland’s layered anti-tank architecture—slotting between light disposable systems (66 KES 12 / M72 LAW) and long-range guided missile complexes (NLAW and Spike LR2/ER2).
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: DYNAMIT NOBEL DEFENCE RGW110 ANTI-ARMOR SYSTEM
Contractual Governance, OEM Prime & Procurement Parameters
⚡ Contracting Authority: Finnish Defence Forces Logistical Command / Ministry of Defence (Finland)
⚡ Industrial Prime: Dynamit Nobel Defence GmbH (DND — Burbach, Germany)
⚡ Financial Scope: €84.5 Million EUR (~$94 Million USD, VAT excluded)
⚡ Delivery Timeline: Deliveries of live munitions, training suites, and operational support packages begin in 2027
⚡ Fleet Legacy Transition: Directly replaces the RAC 112 APILAS (Jarkko / 112 RSKES APILAS) heavy anti-tank weapon 
Warhead Engineering, Kinematics & Armor Penetration Profile
💥 Caliber & Launch Mechanism: 110 mm caliber recoilless countermass system (Davis Recoilless System) enabling safe firing from enclosed spaces (confined space / inside buildings)
💥 Warhead Architecture: Advanced Tandem-Charge HEAT/HESH-T (High-Explosive Anti-Tank / High-Explosive Squash Head-Tracer)
💥 Reactive Armor Mitigation: Integrated extendable standoff spike with an active precursor charge engineered to detonate Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) tiles prior to main shaped-charge penetration
💥 Perforation Envelope: >1,000 mm of Rolled Homogeneous Armor (RHA) penetration behind ERA, ensuring destruction of modern 3rd/4th-generation Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) over frontal arcs
💥 Secondary Effects: Impact-selectable HESH-T / dual-mode ignition configuration for defeating reinforced concrete, masonry bunkers, and urban infrastructure
Ergonomics, Sight Integration & Mass Metrics
🚀 System Weight: ~13.0 kg to 14.0 kg complete disposable ready-to-fire unit (representing a 30–35% mass reduction compared to the legacy 112mm APILAS)
🚀 Tactical Operational Range: Effective engagement distance against moving targets up to 600 meters (extendable to 800+ m when utilizing clip-on optronic fire control systems)
🚀 Fire Control Interface: Detachable, reusable Fire Control Sight (e.g., Dynacc/DynaHawk FCS) featuring a laser rangefinder, ballistic computer, and dynamic lead-angle calculator for high hit probability
🚀 Environmental Hardening: Qualified for extreme Arctic operating conditions (-40°C to +60°C), fully compliant with Finnish Army infantry combat gear integration
TIMES OF DEFENCE ASSESSMENT
The Finnish Defence Forces’ selection of the RGW110 represents a major generational upgrade in dismounted anti-tank lethality along NATO’s northeastern flank. For over four decades, the French-built RAC 112 APILAS served as Finland’s heavy infantry anti-tank punch. While lethal in its era, the APILAS suffered from severe operational drawbacks: a heavy weight profile (~20 kg with container/sight), extreme acoustic and backblast overpressure that prevented enclosed-space firing, and unguided optics susceptible to target estimation errors at extended ranges.
From an engineering and infantry tactics perspective, the transition to the RGW110 yields key operational advantages:
1. **Inherited Panzerfaust 3 Lethality with Reduced Mass**: As the direct technological successor to the Panzerfaust 3, the RGW110 retains a heavy 110mm warhead capable of penetrating >1,000mm of RHA through active ERA, while cutting the system’s carry weight by roughly 30%.
2. **Confined Space / Enclosed Firing Safety**: Utilizing a liquid/plastic countermass system, the RGW110 eliminates dangerous rearward rocket backblast. This allows infantry squads to fire the weapon safely from inside room interiors, fortified bunkers, or covered forest hides—a vital capability for urban defense and Nordic wilderness warfare.
3. **Fire Control Precision and Cost Exchange**: Pairing a disposable, low-unit-cost launch tube with a detachable, reusable fire control sight (with automatic lead computing) ensures high first-round hit probability against maneuvering armor without incurring the high unit costs of guided missiles like NLAW or Spike.
