Swiss arms procurement agency Armasuisse has contracted Rheinmetall to supply the next-generation Maske 76 rapid smoke/obscurant cartridge.
The “mid-two-digit million-euro” contract will see a pilot lot put through “acceptance testing,” beginning in November, while the final lot is expected to be delivered in August 2027.
The Maske 76 will replace the Swiss Army’s 25-year-old Maske C vehicle-launched infrared smoke screen grenade “consisting of a rapid-reaction jamming module producing intense over radiation coupled with a long-duration module producing visual and infrared screening smoke.”
Interrupts Line of Sight
The dual effect interrupts the “line of sight in the visual and infrared spectrum,” reducing the chance of being hit by the enemy.
“It protects combat vehicles from visual and infrared observation, aiming equipment, sensor-guided weapons, laser illuminators, beam riders, and laser rangefinders,” Rheinmetall states.
The Maske cartridge comes in various calibers: 66 mm, 76 mm, and 81 mm smoke grenades, and the US version MK 1 Mod 0 66 mm.
