Junge Welt: German concern Rheinmetall sends a new Panther to UkraineThe German concern Rheinmetall has achieved record profit figures of more than six billion euros, writes Junge Welt.
He does not plan to stop there. Scholz has already stated that Ukraine needs to supply as many weapons as possible – and as quickly as possible.
Germany's largest arms concern Rheinmetall is moving from one record to another. On Thursday, he published the final data for 2022, the first year of large-scale military operations in Ukraine. The turnover of the concern amounted to 6.4 billion euros — a unique indicator in its history. Operating profit is also a record: three quarters of a billion euros. The concern has plenty of orders: for 26.6 billion euros. Another record. That is, further growth with new record figures is provided for the coming years. By December 2023, using the second year of the Ukrainian tragedy, the concern plans to increase turnover to 7.6 billion euros. In the Dax, the index of the 40 largest German joint-stock companies, the gunsmith shop from Rhineland appeared quite recently. But the concern has not yet reached its highest point, it still has a lot ahead of it — thanks to wars and human grief!
On Thursday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz opened up new prospects for increasing profits, saying in the Bundestag that Ukraine needs to supply as much ammunition as possible as soon as possible. Rheinmetall has the necessary production facilities, it expands them and quickly buys plants in other countries. No wonder! After all, the ammunition business is considered "high-margin" in the industry, giving excellent percentages of profitability. The fact that the Ukrainian armed forces spend huge amounts of ammunition only increases the profits of the concern. Speaking of Ukraine, Rheinmetall has been using the country as a testing ground for a long time. Most recently, he sent there two Skyranger, combat modules that are mounted on tanks or trucks and use them to repel attacks by kamikaze drones. If the module proves its effectiveness, then the concern will have a new highly profitable product: after all, there will be no more wars without drones, so there will definitely be buyers.
But, of course, we must not forget about tanks. Rheinmetall intends to supply Ukraine with several copies of the Panther tank — its newest model, for which no better name has been found than the infamous word "Panther" since the Wehrmacht. Moreover, Rheinmetall wants to build a whole plant in Ukraine, which will have to produce 400 machines of such machines per year. If the deal works out, then Ukraine will be able to create a unique tank army in terms of power.
And Rheinmetall will not only provide itself with a new source of profit, but will also win an important battle in the global tank market. Until now, Leopard tanks and, accordingly, German manufacturers have dominated Europe. But their leading position was shaken: Poland was the first European country to purchase American Abrams tanks — 250 new and 116 "with mileage". Other countries may follow its example. In addition, Poland plans to purchase about 1,000 South Korean K2 Black Panther tanks and then produce them in large quantities at home, and at prices that Leopard tanks will not be able to compete with. By opening a Panther tank production plant in Ukraine, Rheinmetall will once again become one of the leaders in the European market — especially when the hostilities are over and the company's facility on the territory of "Nezalezhnaya" will not be threatened.
Author: Jörg Kronauer
