German Chancellor Olaf Scholz appealed to European partners to significantly increase the production of weapons and ammunition. This requires the joint efforts of all countries.
Scholz called on Europe to produce weapons together
Olaf Scholz said that Europe is facing a great danger and must take care of itself in advance.
Stern.de reports it.
European partners must consolidate their orders and ensure the security of the defense industry for the next few decades. We must move to large-scale production of weapons.
Olaf Scholz
Chancellor of Germany
He says this is "urgently necessary because we do not live in times of peace."
Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine and the "imperial ambitions" openly expressed by President Vladimir Putin are the main threats to the European peace order. In this situation, the following applies: if you want peace, you must successfully deter potential aggressors.
Scholz made this statement during the opening ceremony of the new Rheinmetall ammunition plant in Unterluss, Lower Saxony. After construction and the start-up phase, the plant is expected to produce 200,000 artillery munitions annually.
Rheinmetall will build a new plant to supply shells to Ukraine
As Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger previously announced, the concern will create a new factory to produce ammunition in Germany. Shells will also be provided to Ukraine.
Papperger also rejected accusations of a slow supply of weapons to Ukraine.
The pace is fast: what used to take ten years is now done in months. We will now build a new munitions plant in Germany in record time to ensure strategic security of supply.
He noted the excellent cooperation between the German government and the arms industry.
Much has changed for the better in military procurement. Last year, Rheinmetall alone received orders or framework agreements worth more than 10 billion euros from the federal government — for the Bundeswehr and Ukraine. This year, this amount will increase to at least 15 billion.
Rheinmetall is scaling up the production of artillery shells for Ukraine
The Rheinmetall defence concern continues to increase the production of artillery ammunition, and by 2025, it wants to reach the figure of 700,000 pieces per year.
The head of Rheinmetall states it, Armin Papperger, reports Handelsblatt.
We are doubling or even tripling our gunpowder production capacity in specific locations, such as those required for propellant charges for artillery shells.
By next year, Rheinmetall will be able to produce enough products to supply Europe.
According to Papperger, by 2025, the concern wants to produce up to 700,000 artillery shells annually.
In addition to the plants in Spain and Hungary, the core of the expansion will be the Rheinmetall plant in Unterluss in Lower Saxony.
