The information is unofficial – both Volkswagen and the Israeli company refused to comment, but – according to Reuters – VW CEO Oliver Blume said during a conversation with investors that the group is in advanced talks with defense companies regarding the takeover of the plant in Germany. The agency reminds that the German car manufacturer had previously announced the sale or reorganization of the plant in Osnabrueck, which employs approximately 2.3 thousand people. people, but ruled out the production of weapons. Now that may change. In March, the Financial Times reported that VW and Rafael were in talks to change the production profile at the factory from cars to missile defense.
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The arms manufacturer is to take over a car factory in Germany
Israeli Rafael is one of the main partners in the production of Israeli air and missile defense systems. After taking over the German factory, it would focus on building rocket parts there, including engines. Explosives, for safety reasons, would be produced in a separate place, sources say. As Reuters emphasizes, the partnership of arms manufacturers with car factories is beneficial because for the former it is an “industrial knowledge base”, as well as a source of qualified employees and production halls adapted to engineering and metal processing.
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The German Ministry of Defense declined to comment, but a ministry spokesman told Reuters it was working closely with the Ministry of Economics on potential defense projects with industrial companies in the civilian sector.
