Rheinmetall plans to manufacture air defense systems in Ukraine

10 May, 2023 Head office of Rheinmetall in Dusseldorf. Photo from open sources The German company Rheinmetall plans to launch the production of air defense systems, automotive equipment, and ammunition in Ukraine.

Armin Papperger, the company's CEO, shared this in an interview with Handelsblatt. This regards establishing joint ventures with Ukrainian manufacturers. "Attempts are being made to conclude some agreements on cooperation and create joint ventures with Ukrainian companies in the coming weeks," he said.

Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG. Photo credits: Reuters

Papperger also added that in this way, Ukraine would get opportunities for defense in the medium and long term. He also noted that investments in new enterprises will come from the Ukrainian state.

As an example of cooperation, Armin Papperger cited the plan to produce Panther tanks in Ukraine. "Just as the Lynx infantry fighting vehicle is being manufactured at a plant in Hungary, our newly developed Panther main battle tank can roll off the assembly line at a Ukrainian plant based on a comparable model," he said. Papperger also considers the talks on the deployment of tank production in Ukraine to be promising.

Panther KF51 tank from Rheinmetall.

Photo from open sources

In March, it was announced that the German Rheinmetall defense concern is negotiating the construction of a tank factory in Ukraine. The plant could produce up to 400 Panther KF51 tanks annually. Back in the first half of February, Militarnyi reported that Rheinmetall wanted to supply Ukraine with its latest weapons, including promising KF51 Panther tanks.

Armin Papperger, the concern's CEO, emphasized that negotiations with Kyiv were already ongoing. If they were successful, the German government would have to approve the export of German-manufactured armored vehicles. At the end of April, it was reported that the Skynex air defense systems took over combat duty in Ukraine.