Rheinmetall, Destinus form JV

Rheinmetall and Destinus said on April 13 they will create a missile-making joint venture in Germany focused on cruise missiles and ballistic rocket artillery. (rheinmetall.com) The company will be called Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems, with Rheinmetall holding 51% and Destinus 49%. The partners said they plan to establish it in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals. (rheinmetall.com) The venture will be based in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony, at Rheinmetall’s growing weapons production hub. Rheinmetall said it will contribute industrialization, qualification, and serial production, while Destinus brings system design and platform development. (rheinmetall.com) A cruise missile is a powered weapon that flies to a target like a small pilotless aircraft, while ballistic rocket artillery is fired on a steep arc more like a long-range shell. The companies said the new business will manufacture, market, and deliver both types for Europe and North Atlantic Treaty Organization customers. (reuters.com) The deal lands as European governments push to expand weapons output after two years of war-driven demand and depleted stockpiles. Rheinmetall has been enlarging its ammunition and missile footprint, including opening what it called Europe’s largest ammunition factory in Unterlüß in September 2025 after investing almost €500 million. (rheinmetall.com) Destinus has been pitching itself as a supplier built for high-volume production rather than small batches of expensive missiles. On its website, the company says it develops cruise missiles, loitering munitions, and interceptors in Europe for European and allied forces. (destinus.com) AeroTime reported Destinus currently produces more than 2,000 cruise missile systems a year in Europe and said those systems have been used in Ukraine. Reuters reported the joint venture is aimed at producing missiles for Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (aerotime.aero) (reuters.com) Rheinmetall has also been building out the launch side of that market. Its Global Mobile Artillery Rocket System, developed with Lockheed Martin, is a wheeled launcher designed to fire a range of rockets and missiles from a European-made truck platform. (rheinmetall.com) The next step is regulatory clearance and formal launch later in 2026. If that happens on schedule, Unterlüß will add another production line to Europe’s fast-expanding missile supply chain. (rheinmetall.com)