Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger is calling for concrete political commitments regarding new defense projects ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara. Speaking to the publication RND, Papperger stressed that in order to meet their responsibilities to the armed forces, the company requires reliable planning certainty from political leaders. To enable massive investments in future technologies and new production capacities, he stated that clear guaranteed purchase orders and financial down payments are essential.
Furthermore, Papperger identified joint defense programs within Europe as a historic opportunity to achieve an even deeper level of standardization across NATO. He argued that this cooperation provides the most effective leverage to boost competitiveness, achieve economies of scale, and build a resilient European defense industry.
Despite this focus on European collaboration, Papperger also emphasized that the transatlantic partnership remains indispensable. He concluded by saying that the various programs advanced together with their US partners are fundamental to maintaining security on the continent.
