Rheinmetall plans to produce armoured vehicles at Volkswagen facilities
The German company Rheinmetall is considering the possibility of re-profiling the Volkswagen car plant in Osnabrück to produce infantry fighting vehicles and other armoured vehicles.
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Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said that the Volkswagen plant has the necessary heavy cranes, which makes it suitable for the production of armoured vehicles. Volkswagen previously announced a possible reorganisation or sale of the plant.
Rheinmetall is already working with Volkswagen to produce military trucks. However, significant orders are needed to start production, for example, for the Lynx infantry fighting vehicle.
The Lynx infantry fighting vehicle. Illustration: Rheinmatall
If this project goes ahead, it will be the third time a civilian enterprise in Germany has been converted to defence use. Previously, Rheinmetall converted two of its automotive plants into ammunition production sites.
Defence companies in Germany are looking for new capacity as military spending in Europe increases. Rheinmetall and other companies are hiring skilled workers from the declining automotive industry.
For example, KNDS Deutschland (formerly KMW) is repurposing Alstom's Gerlitz plant to produce armoured hulls and components for Leopard 2 tanks, RCH155 self-propelled guns and Boxer armoured vehicles, investing tens of millions of euros in the project.
Source: Reuters
