Rheinmetall CEO warns that air defense stocks in the U.S. and Europe are nearly depleted
Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, Germany’s largest defense contractor, stated that stocks of air defense systems in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East are “virtually depleted.”
This was reported by CNBC.
According to him, demand for missiles and air defense systems is currently “enormous” and is coming from all regions. Papperger noted that modern drones are relatively cheap, while countering them requires significantly more expensive systems.
The head of Rheinmetall emphasized that effective protection is only possible through a combination of missiles, artillery systems, and interceptors. The company plans to ramp up production based on this combined model and is already in negotiations in the Middle East, expecting to receive new orders in the coming weeks.
Rheinmetall’s CEO does not foresee peace in Ukraine by 2026.
NATO has purchased €200 million worth of tank ammunition from Rheinmetall, which Ukraine may receive.
Construction of the Rheinmetall plant in Ukraine has been postponed again due to regulatory issues.
Earlier reports indicated that construction of a munitions plant by the German company Rheinmetall in Ukraine had resumed. A site for the project has already been identified.
