Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall: Partnership in missile production

New deal? Rheinmetall may soon manufacture rockets for Lockheed Martin

2025-08-29 Source: dpa 1 min Reading Time

The US defense company Lockheed Martin intends, as has now become known, to have missiles of the Atacms and Hellfire types manufactured by Rheinmetall ...

As the US defense company Lockheed Martin has now hinted, it is considering having its Atacms and Hellfire missiles (pictured) built by Rheinmetall in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony ...(Image: Lockheed Martin) — As the US defense company Lockheed Martin has now hinted, it is considering having its Atacms and Hellfire missiles (pictured) built by Rheinmetall in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony ...
(Image: Lockheed Martin)

After the Rheinmetall plant in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony (Germany) was inaugurated this week regarding increased capacity for the production of 155-millimeter artillery shells, news has now emerged concerning the construction of missiles for Lockheed Martin. "We are already actively discussing additional production – including for Atacms and Hellfire missiles," confirms Lockheed Martin's European chief, Dennis Göge, to the German Economic magazin "Wirtschaftswoche". However, the list has not yet been finalized. The missiles are also to be built in Unterlüß, as its expansion of missile and guided missile production allows for greater flexibility. The Atacms system is a tactical, ground-based, and relatively large missile. The Hellfire is used by aviation systems.

Rheinmetall has been a partner of Lockheed Martin for some time

As reported from industry sources, the two companies are also negotiating a European production of missile engines. Officially, however, Lockheed did not want to comment on this. Rheinmetall and the US corporation have been in a partnership for some time. Therefore, Rheinmetall is already manufacturing fuselage parts for the F-35 stealth bomber from Lockheed Martin in Germany. Additionally, the two companies announced in April that they intend to jointly establish a European competence center for the production and distribution of missiles and projectiles.

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