Reference Message Network reported on April 20th according to the report of Diario ABC on April 17th. The Rheinmett-Expal ammunition plant located in Madrid, Spain specializes in producing mortars, medium-caliber ammunition, fuses and rocket propulsion systems. The parent company of this plant is Rheinmett, the largest arms manufacturer in Germany. Rheinmett's CEO Armin Papeg has ordered to increase the annual output of this plant to 450,000 shells, which will make Spain become the largest artillery ammunition producer in Europe.
This year, after receiving a 21 million euro order for 155mm M107 shells from an international customer, the company management decided to increase investment based on new demand to achieve mass production.
Meanwhile, Rheinmett is also building a new factory in Lower Saxony, Germany to produce 155mm shells. Papeg revealed the corporate strategy by saying: "We have equipped new devices during the construction period for the new factory, and the original planned capacity of 200,000 will be increased to 350,000."
The company will invest about 600 million euros in the new factory in Lower Lüse, which is the largest under-construction investment project apart from its joint factory with local Ukrainian partners. The Ukrainian factory is expected to be fully operational by 2026.
Such high output will cause enormous pressure on component suppliers and raw material supply chains. Papeg plans to ensure the implementation of the plan by having at least some components produced at the American Rheinmett factories.
Papeg said: "We are expanding or constructing 10 factories in Europe. If we expand production in the United States, it may produce parts for European orders such as the 'Lynx' tank in the future." This is seen as a concession to the Trump administration.
Rheinmett is one of the largest artillery ammunition manufacturers in the world. The EU considers that there is strategic risk in European armies' dependence on US production. The company's management is determined to reduce production across the Atlantic, but it still cannot completely break away from dependence. (Compiled by Han Chao)
Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7495302206535664138/
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