Rheinmetall’s ‘Firepower’ Albacete site commences new medium-calibre production

Rheinmetall is pressing ahead with its ‘Firepower’ project and continues to significantly expand its production capacity. In October 2026, its subsidiary Rheinmetall Expal Munitions will commission its new modern medium-calibre production facility at the Albacete site. An expansion ceremony was attended by the Spanish Secretary of State for Defence, Amparo Valcarce; the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Heiko Thoms; the Mayor of Albacete, Manuel Serrano López; and the Chairman of the Executive Board of Rheinmetall AG, Armin Papperger. The Albacete site is set to increase its workforce by almost a third – from around 210 employees at present to around 300. Thanks to a high degree of automation, state-of-the-art next-generation production facilities enable key components for medium-calibre cartridges to be manufactured even faster and in larger quantities. Production capacity for mortar weapons and systems – the site’s traditional core competence – is also being significantly expanded. Rheinmetall has invested around 20 million euros in expanding its production capacities at the Albacete site. A building has been modernised and extended to accommodate the new medium-calibre production line. Covering an area of approximately 5,700 square metres, the site now features a new technical building infrastructure, new machinery and new manufacturing capabilities. Similarly, a new building with 5,200 square metres of floor space was constructed in less than a year to expand the production of mortar systems. Aircraft maintenance will also be possible in this new hall Armin Papperger, Chief Executive of Rheinmetall AG: “Albacete is one of our key centres of expertise in the field of ammunition components and weapon systems manufacturing. It makes perfect sense to draw on this expertise of our colleagues for our ‘Firepower’ project. We are introducing a new capability to this site in order to significantly increase medium-calibre production. At the same time, we are strengthening the plant’s existing core competence, namely the manufacture of mortar systems. Albacete will thus be of strategic importance not only for Rheinmetall, but also for Spain and Europe, and will contribute to credible defence capabilities.” Amparo Valcarce, Secretary of State for Defence, said: “A credible deterrent requires armed forces that are well prepared, properly equipped and capable of sustaining their operations over time. This makes a strong defence industry essential, because the best way to preserve peace is to be prepared to defend it.” In the medium-calibre sector, Albacete can cover calibres ranging from 20 mm to 35 mm. Annual production capacity will be around 1.2 million projectiles and approximately 1.8 million cartridge cases. These components are further processed at other sites within the Rheinmetall network – including the plant in Burgos – to manufacture various types of ammunition for infantry fighting vehicles and anti-aircraft gun systems. These include kinetic energy time fuze munition, armour-piercing projectiles and AHEAD ammunition for anti-aircraft systems and counter-unmanned aerial systems applications. In the field of mortar systems, annual production capacity is set to reach 40 Dual-Eimos mortar systems in 81 mm calibre. It will also be possible to manufacture more than 650 mortars in 60 mm, 81 mm and 120 mm calibres per year. The Albacete site will collaborate across Europe with other Rheinmetall sites in Spain, Germany and Switzerland to meet the needs of NATO partners and other allies. A local supplier network creates opportunities for businesses throughout the region. Rheinmetall to take over the Mangalia shipyard in Romania Rheinmetall and the Swiss shipping company MSC intend to acquire the Romanian Mangalia shipyard, located south of Constanța. They have now been awarded the bid following an auction. The aim of the takeover is to establish a dual-use production site, where both civil and military shipbuilding activities for domestic and international markets can be developed and carried out in parallel. To this end, the site will be subdivided into various sectors and security zones in the future. The acquisition, which is expected to be finalised in a few weeks, involves a purchase price of around €138 million, to be paid jointly by the two partners. For Rheinmetall Naval Systems, the Mangalia shipyard will play an important role in the build of four naval vessels, which have been commissioned by the Romanian government. These include two 96-metre offshore patrol vessels as well as two 43-metre diver support vessels. At the same time, the site is intended to serve as a hub for further military shipbuilding projects. In doing so, Rheinmetall is creating a scalable foundation for future projects in south eastern Europe and strengthens its position in a strategically important market. “Following the acquisition, we plan to expand and upgrade the shipyard comprehensively. Our aim is to further develop the existing infrastructure, improve production conditions and adapt capacity to meet future requirements. This will enable the site in the long term to play a key role in the implementation of our strategic activities in South-Eastern Europe and to strengthen our industrial presence in the region,” said Tim Wagner, CEO of the Naval Systems division. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Group Sales Director Simon Hadfield at [email protected]