Arming the World: Rheinmetall’s Secretive Ammunition Factory Programme

New evidence shows that the company, through its South African subsidiary Rheinmetall Denel Munitions (RDM), has played a key role in enabling the global spread of advanced ammunition production capabilities. This includes the construction of one of India's largest ammunition plants in Himachal Pradesh, supported by a local partnership that began in 2022.

While Rheinmetall publicly highlights deals with NATO countries or support for Ukraine, it has not openly acknowledged these arrangements. By using RDM's technology and infrastructure, Rheinmetall is able to circumvent stricter European export regulations. The result is that client states - some with troubling human rights records - gain the capacity to produce their own ammunition, significantly loosening external oversight and end-use controls.

Investigate Europe's research is based on numerous insider accounts, confidential documents, and trade records. It reveals a pattern of covert exports to several non-NATO regions, including Latin America and Indonesia. This newly exposed business model sheds light on a secretive arms trade network in which Rheinmetall expands its influence and profit potential while minimising direct accountability and transparency in the global arms market.

Photo © Spoovio / Georgina Choleva