Home reports politics Rheinmetall wants to produce artillery ammunition in Ukraine

155mm Artileeriemunition in Unterlüß IMG_E4920_Heiming — Rheinmetall wants to expand its capacity to produce 155mm artillery ammunition with a plant in Ukraine. (Photo: Gerhard Heiming)

Rheinmetall wants to produce artillery ammunition in Ukraine

February 18, 2024

On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Rheinmetall initiated the establishment of a joint venture with a Ukrainian company with a memorandum of understanding to open a new ammunition plant in Ukraine.

Rheinmetall wants to expand its capacity to produce 155mm artillery ammunition with a plant in Ukraine. (Photo: Gerhard Heiming)

Das „Ukrainische Kompetenzzentrum für Munition“ soll künftig eine sechsstellige Zahl von Geschossen im Kaliber 155mm pro Jahr fertigen, inklusive entsprechender Treibladungen, schreibt Rheinmetall. Hierzu wollen die JV-Partner eine neue Produktionsanlage bauen und künftig gemeinsam betreiben. An dem Gemeinschaftsunternehmen werde Rheinmetall 51 Prozent der Anteile halten, 49 Prozent entfallen auf den ukrainischen Partner.

“The need for artillery ammunition in many countries is enormous - first of all, of course, in Ukraine. Our intention to establish another joint venture there underlines how serious Rheinmetall is about supporting the country. The joint venture will make a significant contribution to Ukraine’s defense capability and thus serve security in Europe,” said Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG.

„Wir wollen der Ukraine ein leistungsfähiger Partner dabei sein, die einst starke wehrtechnische Industrie in der Ukraine wiederaufzubauen und die Autonomie ukrainischer Kapazitäten sicherzustellen. Schon heute sind wir der wichtigste rüstungsindustrielle Partner des Landes. Insgesamt haben wir mit der Ukraine aktuell Projekte im Wert von mehreren Milliarden Euro in Arbeit, und fast täglich wird es mehr“, so Papperger weiter.

Only on February 12th, in the presence of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony for a new plant was held in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony, in which - in addition to explosives and components for rocket artillery - artillery ammunition will also be produced from 2025 (ESuTreported).

Already in October 2023, Rheinmetall AG and the Ukrainian state-owned company Ukrainian Defense Industry JSC (UDI, formerly Ukroboronprom) founded their first joint venture in Kiev - Rheinmetall Ukrainian Defense Industry LLC (ESuTreported). In a first step, emergency vehicles will be maintained and repaired; later, armored vehicles will also be manufactured in Ukraine.

Editorial staff / gwh

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