Overview

• Rheinmetall’s €200 million fuselage plant in Weeze is set to start producing central sections for the F-35 stealth bomber within days.
• Order backlogs at major German defense companies have surged past €60 billion, with Rheinmetall’s backlog nearly tripling since 2021.
• The Bundestag has approved contracts for four additional Type 212CD submarines and expanded air-defense missile procurements under the 2022 special fund.
• Suppliers from Hensoldt to MBDA are ramping up capacity on radar systems and Patriot and Eurofighter missiles to serve both Bundeswehr modernization and Ukraine support mandates.
• Drone makers such as Helsing have raised €600 million for kamikaze HX-2 systems while firms shift automotive and civilian workers into defense production amid labor shortages.