Rheinmetall is to produce fuselage parts for at least 400 F-35A Lightning II aircraft.
(Photo: IMAGO/Björn Trotsky)
Dusseldorf For its participation in the construction of the F-35 fighter jet, the armaments group Rheinmetall wants to build a factory at Weeze Airport in western North Rhine-Westphalia. The Düsseldorf-based company announced a corresponding location decision on Tuesday.
Rheinmetall is to produce fuselage parts for at least 400 F-35A Lightning II aircraft. Germany had ordered 35 such fighter jets for its air force to replace the aging Tornado. According to Rheinmetall, other customers are “friendly nations” of Germany.
The US companies Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin are responsible for other parts of the jet. One is proud of the “real know-how transfer to Germany,” said Rheinmetall boss Armin Papperger. Production is expected to start in 2025.
The facility is in a commercial area right next to the actual airport site. Lower Saxony and Brandenburg had also had hopes of being awarded the contract when looking for a location, but are now left out.
According to the information, the Rheinmetall factory will be almost 60,000 square meters in size, and a good 400 employees will work there. Lockheed Martin manager Mike Shoemaker rated the speedy choice of location for the assembly line as an “important milestone in the German F-35 program”.
Manufacturing will help “meet growing global demand and keep the F-35 one step ahead of future threats in the 21st century.” The “Business Insider” had previously reported on the decision for Weeze.
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