Overview
- At a ceremony in Sofia, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger and VMZ/WMS director Ivan Getsov signed the contract establishing a 51/49 joint venture.
- The project totals about €1 billion and will be located at the VMZ/WMS site in Sopot, creating roughly 1,000 jobs.
- The plants will produce propellant, 155‑millimeter artillery shells and modern modular charge systems, with plans for about 100,000 shells per year.
- Bulgaria will fund its share through a loan under the EU SAFE mechanism for defence investments.
- Construction is expected to take roughly 14 months, with the venture presented as boosting Europe’s and NATO’s munitions supply, including support for Ukraine.