The forecast gives a potential timetable for Rheinmetall’s move into cruise missiles with Destinus, a Netherlands-based defence technology company. Papperger said the separate planned venture with Lockheed Martin would cover artillery rockets.
Rheinmetall and Destinus announced an agreement in April to establish Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems in the second half of 2026. The proposed company would be 51% owned by Rheinmetall and 49% by Destinus, subject to regulatory approval.
The partners said it would manufacture, market and deliver cruise missiles and ballistic rocket artillery, adding production and qualification capacity at Rheinmetall’s German facilities. Destinus would continue to make core systems and components in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe.
Lockheed Martin outlined a broader expansion of its Rheinmetall partnership in a separate April announcement. The companies said they were examining plans for a Rheinmetall-led European centre to manufacture and distribute rockets and missiles, with those plans subject to approval by the U.S. and German governments.
The companies have worked together on the GMARS multiple rocket launcher since 2023, according to Lockheed Martin. Papperger said in the April announcement that Rheinmetall wanted a significant role in Europe’s growing rocket and missile market and would contribute to production as well as sales.
The investment drive comes against a shortage Papperger said Germany has yet to overcome. Missile stocks remain worryingly low, he told Euronews, citing bottlenecks in rocket motors and warheads that must be addressed to rebuild supplies across Germany, Europe and NATO.
