Rheinmetall has begun converting an automotive parts factory in Berlin into a facility dedicated to producing 155-millimeter artillery shell casings, strengthening the company’s expanding ammunition supply chain.
The plant, formerly operated by Rheinmetall’s automotive subsidiary Pierburg in the Wedding district, will shift from manufacturing engine pumps and valves to forming steel projectile bodies for artillery munitions. As part of the transition, more than 200 employees have moved to the company’s Weapon and Ammunition division, according to the trade union IG Metall.
The facility will focus on shaping steel billets into shell casings, which will then be transported by rail to other Rheinmetall sites for explosive filling and final assembly. Union representatives say the move will help safeguard jobs as Germany’s automotive sector faces weaker demand and structural changes.
Scaling Up Ammunition Output
The conversion is part of a broader effort by Rheinmetall to expand artillery ammunition production following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The company plans to increase output to 1.1 million 155-mm shells annually by 2027, a sharp rise from approximately 100,000 rounds per year before the war.
Rheinmetall’s primary manufacturing hub remains its Unterlüß Facility, where a new complex called “Werk Niedersachsen” is being built to produce up to 350,000 shells each year.
Further capacity is provided by the company’s Spanish subsidiary Expal Systems, contributing roughly 300,000 rounds annually. Rheinmetall is also preparing to launch a new ammunition plant in Hungary, while another production facility is currently being developed in Lithuania.
