Germany's Rheinmetall starts building F-35 fuselage plant – DW – 08/01/2023
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German arms producer Rheinmetall is to begin manufacturing parts for F-35 stealth aircraft from 2025 in a new plant. The factory is the first such investment by a German weapons manufacturer since Russia invaded Ukraine.

The factory, which is estimated to cost €200 million ($219 million) and will have an area of some 60,000 square meters (645,835 square feet), is to go into operation in 2025.

Its up to 450 workers will produce the fuselage parts for at least 400 of the aircraft, 35 of which are earmarked for use by Germany’s armed forces at a cost of €8.3 billion. Those aircraft are being purchased as part of the €100 billion package agreed by the government last year to upgrade the country’s military.

The other planes, whose delivery is scheduled to start in 2026, will likely be purchased by other NATO partners. The remaining components for the aircraft are to be supplied by other manufacturers, meaning that Rheinmetall will receive only a small part of the proceeds. Some 1,500 other jobs could be created in connection with the factory.