Rheinmetall's new ammunition plant in northern Germany will be the largest in Europe at full capacity, Armin Paperger, the group's chief executive and president, said at its opening today, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
Similar plants could be built at a comparable pace in other NATO countries, with Paperger saying he expected to sign contracts for the construction of plants in Bulgaria in the coming weeks.
These plants could contribute to a "pan-European defense ecosystem," Paperger said at the event, which was attended by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil.
According to Paperger, similar plants could be built in countries such as Lithuania and the UK, where concrete projects already exist. He also mentioned Romania, Latvia and Ukraine, which he said should be even more decisive in being able to produce urgently needed protection and defence equipment.
A total of 500 million euros were invested in the new plant, whose construction began in February 2024.
It is expected that around 25,000 shells will be produced there this year, with annual capacity reaching 350,000 rounds by 2027. “Rheinmetall“ is also building a rocket engine plant, and most likely a warhead plant, at the same site.