German defense concern “Rheinmetall” officially launched a new factory in Lower Saxony on August 27, which will produce 155 mm artillery shells. A significant part of the ammunition will be sent to Ukraine.
Deutsche Welle writes about this with reference to the companyʼs press release.
By the end of this year, the plant plans to produce 25 000 shells, and in 2026, 140 000. In another year, the factory will operate at maximum capacity — up to 350 000 artillery shells, which will make it the largest in Europe. This is one and a half times more than originally planned.
In addition to artillery shells, the new factory will produce rocket engines for rocket artillery.
The opening ceremony of the “Rheinmetall” plant was attended by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, who had visited Kyiv a few days earlier. In addition to German officials, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also attended the event.
A new weapons factory in Lower Saxony was built in 15 months. “Rheinmetall” says this is a record time. The plant is located on the territory of the concern’s largest production site – in the forests near the town of Unterlüs. The total area is approximately five football fields, and the amount of investment is about half a billion euros.
- “Rheinmetall” is one of the largest manufacturers of military equipment and weapons in Germany and Europe. The company plans to open a production facility in Ukraine for armored vehicles, including tanks, ammunition and air defense systems. According to Agence France Press, Rheinmetall wants to build at least four plants in Ukraine.
- At the beginning of the year, it became known that the “Rheinmetall” ammunition plant in Ukraine, which is still under construction, will begin operating in 2026.
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