The political opening of the Rheinmetall Ukrainian Defense Industry LLC maintenance and repair centre in western Ukraine took place yesterday (10 June 2024). On this occasion, the Ukrainian Minister of Strategic Industries, Oleksandr Kamyshin, visited the site there: “We strive to develop our production capabilities together with our allies and believe that the Ukrainian defence industry is a part of the European defence industry, which strengthens the system of collective security of the European Union. Therefore, the opening of a joint service center with Rheinmetall is not only a step towards the Victory of Ukraine, but also an important stage in the construction of the arsenal of the Free World.” 

Marder infantry fighting vehicles are already being maintenanced and overhauled at the hub. In the future, Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 main battle tanks and other German-made systems will also be repaired at other locations in Ukraine. 

Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG: “It is a matter close to our hearts to provide Ukraine with effective and reliable support. When it comes to supplying spare parts, our top priority is to maximise availability and ensure rapid replenishment. To achieve this, we utilise existing channels via original manufacturers, process material ourselves and with partners. We are also reactivating original supply chains and integrating local production in Ukraine.” 

“The opening of the first joint service center with Rheinmetall in Ukraine is crucial for strengthening our defence capabilities. This facility will allow us to ensure quick repairs and maintenance of German equipment directly on Ukrainian soil, significantly enhancing the efficiency of our Armed Forces. We are grateful to our German partners for their trust and support, which enable us to confidently move towards victory and integrate into the European collective security system”, added Dmytro Klimenkov, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine.

Rheinmetall is utilising existing local infrastructure, but has also brought special tools, spare parts and other equipment to the hub. Last year, Ukrainian specialists were trained at Rheinmetall sites in Germany in the repair of combat vehicles, including industrial mechanics and mechatronics engineers, for example. These personnel then returned to Ukraine and worked there on the maintenance and repair of the relevant systems.

The joint venture Rheinmetall Ukrainian Defense Industry LLC was founded in October 2023. The announcement was made at the German-Ukrainian Economic Forum in Berlin, in the presence of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal.

At an event organised by the European Defence Agency (EDA), Rheinmetall presented a new solution for the mobile production of spare parts for military vehicles. 

Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH, an OEM for tactical and logistic tracked and wheeled vehicles, presented the new mission support concept. The Mobile Smart Factory (MSF) delivers metal 3D printing and postprocessing capabilities and is fully integrated into Rheinmetall’s 
IRIS (Integrated Rheinmetall Information System) digital ecosystem.

The MSF consists of two 20-foot mobile shipping containers, one serving as an office container and the other as a production container. The office container houses an air-conditioned workstation and storage space. A polymer printer and a handheld scanner for quality control is also part of the office container. The production container is equipped with a Metrom P7000, a 6-axis hybrid machine. This machine is not limited to wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) technology. With an integrated CNC milling facility, it also enables on-site finishing and postprocessing. The combined welding and CNC capability gives Battle Damage Repair personnel additional options for repairing and overhaul. This is why the MSF also lives up to its name of “Mobile Smart Factory”.

The machine can produce components with a maximum size of 700 mm in diameter and 450 mm in height. All weldable wires and polymers can be used. The metal deposition rate is up to 600 cm3/h (cubic centimetres per hour). 
What makes the Mobile Smart Factory unique is its integration into the IRIS© platform. As an OEM of military vehicles, Rheinmetall understands the importance of secure data exchange and lifelong product monitoring of printed parts, including quality assurance. The cloud-enabled IRISplatform enables the fully integrated operation of the IRISwork and IRISfleet software applications with the MSF, meeting IT security standards up to NATO Restricted. IRISwork provides operators and maintenance personnel with access to technical documentation andspare parts catalogues, while IRISfleet is a fleet management tool that documents the installation of a specific printed part on a specific vehicle. IRISfleet stores all relevant information about the printed part and keeps a digital product passport to ensure system security. IRIS technology also includes access to remote support from industry, engineers, quality assurance, etc. 

The collaborative multitenant IRIS platform enables the armed forces and defence industry to integrate partners into a secure network, providing rapidly deployable additive capabilities for the modern battlefield.