The company is also set to start production of munitions and components for the F-35 fighter jets at new production facilities in Germany next year, the report read. Meanwhile, the number of artillery rounds the arms maker produces is expected to rise to 700,000 in 2025, compared to 70,000 in 2022, it added.
Rheinmetall reported a 60% hike in operating earnings in the first quarter of 2024 following an Ukraine-driven boom in arms sales. Weapons and ammunition-generated sales accounted for 362 million euros ($394.7 million) in returns, up 70% from the figure for the previous year, the company said.
Russia has consistently warned the West against continued arms deliveries to Ukraine, saying that they only prolonged the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russian strikes.