Rheinmetall plans to open a joint venture in Ukraine to produce air defense systems, according to multiple Ukrainian media on May 15. During the company’s general meeting, CEO Armin Papperger announced the establishment of new production facilities.
This information was initially reported by the German Aid to Ukraine on X. The account clarifies that these plans are still in the preliminary stages and are expected to take a year or two to materialize. Given that this account is the sole source of the information, Defense Express has decided to verify whether Rheinmetall will indeed open an air defense production facility in Ukraine.
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In its recent summary of the first quarter of 2024, Rheinmetall noted its plans for Ukraine, emphasizing its mission to become the primary supplier for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Among the localization partnerships mentioned were the production of the Fuchs vehicles, ammunition and the Skynex systems. Notably, the production of the Fuchs vehicles in Ukraine is an approved project, and the production of a six-figure quantity of 155 mm shells at a Ukrainian plant is also confirmed.
The joint production of air defense systems remains the key pending initiative. During the presentation of the 2023 report in mid-March 2024, Armin Papperger explicitly stated that the company plans to establish facilities in Ukraine for the production of military equipment, ammunition, gunpowder and air defense weapons. Thus, Rheinmetall’s plans to create a joint production facility for air defense systems in Ukraine are indeed true, contingent on maximum support from the Ukrainian government, as with all other Rheinmetall initiatives.
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