Rheinmetall Corporation is ready to ship more than 740,000 shells a year, five times more than today, to meet demand in Ukraine and the West.
“We can produce 240,000 rounds of 120 mm artillery shells for tanks per year, which is more than the world demands. The output of 155 mm caliber shells can also increase to 450,000-500,000 rounds per year.”, Armin Papperger, chief executive officer of German defence group Rheinmetall, said today.
Director Papperger said that Rheinmetall shipped about 120,000-140,000 rounds of 120 and 155 mm shells last year, emphasising that increasing production could take place quickly to meet the huge demand in Ukraine and other countries.
The remarks come as German defense industry leaders prepare to meet with new Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. The meeting aimed to discuss measures to speed up arms procurement and ensure a long-term supply of ammunition in the context of the military reserves of Germany and many of its allies nearing due to nearly a year of aid efforts to Ukraine.
Rheinmetall Corporation manufactures many defense products, the most famous of which is the 120 mm Rh-120 cannon for the main tank Leopard 2. This enterprise is also negotiating with the US Lockheed Martin corporation to open the wire. HIMARS jet artillery production line in Germany.
“We aim to sign the agreement with Lockheed Martin at the Munich Security Conference in mid-February. Rheinmetall has the technology to build the warheads and engines for the HIMARS ammunition and the truck chassis for installation. Launchpad,” said Mr. Paperger.
Rheinmetall also proposed the German government provides 700-800 million euros for constructing a new explosives factory in the state of Saxony to solve a shortage of materials that threatened to hinder future increases in artillery production.