Lockheed Martin: joint venture with Rheinmetall to produce ATACMS missiles in Germany
Unterluess: the first site outside the US
(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Memorandum of Understanding between the US firm Lockheed Martin and the German group Rheinmetall for the joint production in Europe of US ATACMS missile systems intended for NATO forces and European allies.
The agreement, signed in Ankara with the support of the respective governments – according to a statement – is the first step towards the establishment of a joint venture for a European centre for the production, integration and distribution of ATACMS. Rheinmetall’s site in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony, has been chosen for the co-production; it is home to Europe’s largest private firing range and employs 4,000 people. Lockheed Martin, the joint statement reads, will continue to produce ATACMS in Camden, Arkansas, “until the transition to the new joint venture is complete”.
Bringing the Atacms co-production to Germany sends a strong signal to the European defence industry
and for NATO’s long-term resilience. This partnership combines proven US technology with
“Europe’s manufacturing capacity, creating industrial value in Germany whilst expanding the capabilities the allies need to meet growing security requirements,” said Dennis Goege, Lockheed Martin’s managing director for Europe.
