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Rheinmetall AG administration building in Düsseldorf: tanks for the medium forces of the German Army
Photo: Henning Kaiser/dpa
Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine continues to leave the defense industry with full order books. The federal government is buying 123 wheeled armored vehicles from the arms company Rheinmetall. The Düsseldorf-based company and the Bundeswehr Procurement Office announced that the order value, including services, is around 2.7 billion euros. Delivery is scheduled to begin in 2025 and last until 2030.
The “Heavy Weapons Carrier Infantry,” as the vehicle type is called, is intended to replace the Wiesel mini-tank, which is used in infantry units for fire support. The wheeled tank is also a core element of the German Army's new "Medium Forces". These were brought into being as part of the reorganization of the army and are characterized by their ability to be deployed quickly over long distances.
Meanwhile, Rheinmetall is expressing its joy about the Bundeswehr's major order: "We are very proud to be able to supply the Heavy Weapons Carrier Infantry, an essential element for the German Army's new force category, the medium forces," said Armin Papperger, Chairman of the Board Rheinmetall AG. In order to be able to provide the army with the combat vehicles it needs as quickly as possible, the Australian locations will also be included in addition to the German ones.
Accordingly, the wheeled armored vehicles will primarily be manufactured by a Rheinmetall subsidiary in Australia, where the German arms company has a good 900 employees. The money comes from the Bundeswehr's special fund worth 100 billion euros, which was set up after the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine in 2022.
Rheinmetall was recently able to show a sales increase of twelve percent to around 7.2 billion euros for 2023. The revenue was generated primarily in business with military customers.
eru/dpa