Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger says global rules are needed to ensure humans—not artificial intelligence—make the final decision to use force in war, warning that rapid advances in military AI require clear international limits.
After the collapse of the FCAS fighter programme, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger has raised doubts about whether the planned Franco-German tank project will ever materialise.
Pro-Palestine activists blocked access to the ILA Berlin Air Show ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit. Police removed protesters after they disrupted the opening of Germany’s major aerospace and defence event.
The British Army will procure 72 RCH 155 remote controlled artillery systems under a contract worth nearly £1 billion. The programme involving Rheinmetall and KNDS will replace AS90 artillery systems transferred to Ukraine.
Rheinmetall and Deutsche Telekom plan to develop systems to detect and stop hostile drones and cyber threats. The project will combine telecom networks, sensors and laser-based technologies to protect key infrastructure.
Israeli defence firm Rafael is in talks to take over Volkswagen’s Osnabrück plant as production winds down. The site could be repurposed to support Iron Dome components, with some jobs potentially retained.
The UK Ministry of Defence will conduct a major wargame with five defence companies to assess how supply chains would perform during sustained conflict. The exercise will examine risks, capacity constraints and policy responses to maintain military equipment supply.
Germany has ordered €1 billion in infantry equipment from Rheinmetall, including protective gear and digital systems. The package aims to improve coordination and battlefield awareness for thousands of soldiers.
Rheinmetall and Boeing Defence Australia have partnered to offer the MQ-28 Ghost Bat to the Bundeswehr as a collaborative combat aircraft. Rheinmetall will act as system integrator, with the platform targeted for deployment by 2029.
Germany’s parliament has approved €540 million to buy kamikaze drones for the army, with more funding possible. The systems, shaped by lessons from Ukraine, will first equip Germany’s Lithuania Brigade.
Rheinmetall and MBDA Germany plan to set up a joint venture in early 2026 to develop naval laser weapon systems. The move follows joint trials of a laser demonstrator tested at sea and is aimed at providing drone defence capabilities for the German Navy.
Germany’s armed forces have signed a €1.7 billion contract with Rheinmetall for access to satellite-based reconnaissance data with regular radar images supplied through a partnership with Finnish satellite operator ICEYE.
Rheinmetall has won a high three-digit million-euro contract to supply Skyranger 30 short-range air-defence systems to the Dutch Defence Ministry. Deliveries of the mobile and dismounted systems are scheduled to begin in 2028 and conclude by 2029. The order also includes command-and-control nodes, transport platforms, simulators and logistics support for integration into the Netherlands’ existing air-defence architecture.
Global defence revenues surged to a record $679 billion in 2024, driven by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and rising geopolitical tensions, according to new SIPRI data. The world’s 100 biggest arms makers saw sales grow 5.9 percent, with strong increases in Europe and steady dominance by U.S. firms. SpaceX entered the Top 100 for the first time, while China posted a rare decline due to procurement disruptions.
Rheinmetall aims to expand its annual turnover to around €50 billion by 2030, CEO Armin Papperger told analysts during the company’s Capital Markets Day in Unterlüss, with the German defence contractor experiencing a sharp rise in revenue since the war in Ukraine, driven by growing orders for artillery, ammunition, air defence systems and tanks.
