German arms maker Rheinmetall to build plant in Lithuania

This was reported by the Lithuanian Ministry of Economy and Innovation.

According to Lithuania's Minister of Economy and Innovation, Aušrinė Armonaitė, the construction of the Rheinmetall plant is "a significant step towards meeting the country's urgent defense and security needs."

"It will ensure uninterrupted access to essential weapons and ammunition, as these critical defense products will be manufactured on Lithuanian soil. With an investment of over $180 million, the new plant is also expected to create at least 150 new jobs," Armonaitė said.

The exact location of the project, which has been granted "major" status, will be announced in the coming weeks. The plant is expected to produce tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition annually.

Maximilian Froch, director of Strategic Program Organization International at Rheinmetall, praised Lithuania for choosing Rheinmetall as its partner in the defense industry, noting that this partnership will strengthen the country's sovereignty in ammunition production.

To enhance national security, the Lithuanian Seimas, on the initiative of the Ministry of Economy, has adopted amendments to laws that create more favorable conditions for large-scale projects. Investors, including Rheinmetall, will benefit from these new provisions.

The amendments streamline procedures related to territory planning, land allocation, and construction, enabling the rapid development of the defense industry in Lithuania.

• It was recently reported that Rheinmetall has received an order from an unnamed European country for hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition for the Skynex air defence system.