German defense company Rheinmetall has started production of kamikaze drones at its plant in Neuss, western Germany.
“We are currently starting series production of this system at our plant in Neuss,“ the company's CEO, Armin Paperger, was quoted by the DPA agency as saying. He was referring to a drone that can stay in the air for up to 70 minutes before diving on a target and exploding. A Rheinmetall representative said that the model is already being produced at its plant in Braunschweig, and the company is about to expand production to its plant in Neuss (near Düsseldorf).
According to available data, the drones have a range of up to 100 km, and their warhead, including the detonator, weighs approximately 4 kg. The drone can remain in the air for up to 70 minutes and monitor targets. The drones are armed with explosives and can also be used for reconnaissance. The device is intended for single use.
Papperger noted that Rheinmetall developed the drone in just a few months. “Thanks to the four-kilogram warhead, it combines reconnaissance and attack functions“, he explained. The key and most important point, according to the company's CEO, is that production is entirely localized in the EU: the drone itself is manufactured in Germany, and the warhead in Italy.
The Neuss plant previously produced automotive components, but Rheinmetall is getting rid of its struggling automotive parts division. In the future, the Neuss plant will be used to produce military products, in particular the FV-014 drone. The Bundeswehr recently placed an order for 300 million EUR for these drones, with the framework agreement providing for additional orders. The first deliveries are planned for next year.
Rheinmetall is Germany's largest defense company. The company also supplies military equipment, including tanks and ammunition, to Kiev and is building an ammunition production plant in Ukraine.