Overview
- Armin Papperger spoke at the WELT security summit on July 2 and said former chancellor Angela Merkel told Rheinmetall the government did not need the domestic arms industry and would "call the Americans" if problems arose.
- Papperger argued Germany long pushed the defence sector to the margins, saying companies were placed in a "Schmuddelecke" and faced little domestic demand before Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
- He highlighted Rheinmetall's rapid expansion since 2022, saying the company raised annual artillery-munition capacity from about 70,000 rounds to roughly one million and saw revenue and share-price gains.
- Papperger pressed for faster development-to-deployment cycles, more binding contracts instead of framework agreements, and clearer long-term orders so industrial investments pay off.
- He urged a new approach to European consolidation, calling for production to be distributed to countries such as Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary to boost resilience and speed, which could change how weapons and munitions are supplied to Ukraine and NATO partners.