Rheinmetall will produce artillery ammunition in Ukraine

Europe's largest ammunition manufacturer Rheinmetall is setting the stage for the opening of a new plant in Ukraine. Rheinmetall and a Ukrainian partner company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a joint venture that will produce artillery ammunition in Ukraine in the future. The signing took place today in the presence of Alexander Kamyshin, the Ukrainian Minister for Strategic Industries, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

The "Ukrainian Competence Center for Ammunition" will produce a six-figure number of 155mm caliber projectiles per year, including corresponding propellants. To achieve this, the JV partners plan to build and jointly operate a new production facility. Rheinmetall will hold 51 percent of the shares in the joint venture, with 49 percent owned by the Ukrainian partner.

Only on February 12, 2024, in the presence of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony for a new plant was held in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony, where, in addition to explosives and components for rocket artillery, artillery ammunition will also be produced from 2025.

"The demand for artillery ammunition in many countries is enormous - especially in Ukraine. Our intention to now establish another joint venture there underscores how serious Rheinmetall is about supporting the country. The joint venture will make a significant contribution to Ukraine's defense capability and thus serve the security in Europe," said Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG.

Armin Papperger: "We want to be a strong partner for Ukraine in rebuilding the once strong defense industry in Ukraine and ensuring the autonomy of Ukrainian capabilities. Today, we are the country's most important defense industry partner. Overall, we currently have projects worth several billion euros in Ukraine, and it's growing almost daily."

Rheinmetall is not only the world's largest manufacturer and technology leader in the field of artillery ammunition, but also internally has the expertise for planning, construction, and operation of facilities for the production of large-caliber ammunition.

In October 2023, Rheinmetall AG and the Ukrainian state conglomerate Ukrainian Defense Industry JSC (UDI, formerly Ukroboronprom) established a first joint venture in Kyiv - the Rheinmetall Ukrainian Defense Industry LLC. In a first step, operational vehicles are maintained and repaired, later armored vehicles will also be manufactured in Ukraine.

RHEINMETALL Online