Overview
- Ola Källenius told the Wall Street Journal on Friday that Mercedes-Benz would consider producing defense goods if it makes business sense and would treat it as a small, growing niche.
- The company said it already supports security uses through modifiable vehicles, with G‑Class military variants in service, and noted that Daimler Truck builds military lorries under separate ownership.
- Mercedes emphasized that any deliveries follow sanctions and export-control rules and that it has not announced a specific weapons project or new production line.
- Interest spans the sector as spending on defense rises, with SIPRI reporting record 2024 sales for the top 100 arms makers and German carmakers weighing diversification to offset weak car sales.
- Reports have linked Volkswagen’s Osnabrück site to possible air-defense work with Rafael, which VW has denied, highlighting both the opportunity and the political scrutiny facing such shifts.