27 Feb 12. Rheinmetall AG of Düsseldorf is reorganizing its Defence arm in response to planned expansion and the corporation’s increasingly international character. Rheinmetall Defence, which has production plants and sales units in some 15 countries, generated global sales last year of over €2.1 billion.
In essence, the new management structure of Rheinmetall Defence will consist of three divisions: Combat Systems, Electronic Solutions, and Wheeled Vehicles, the latter equating to the joint venture company Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV). These three divisions, each headed by a member of the Executive Board of Rheinmetall Defence, will encompass the corporation’s previous six divisions as well as the wheeled vehicles joint venture, RMMV, partly recombined and structured into eleven business units.
Armin Papperger will represent the Combat Systems division on the Executive Board of Rheinmetall Defence, which he also chairs and represents on the Executive Board of Rheinmetall AG. Representing the Electronic Solutions division on the Executive Board of Rheinmetall Defence will be Bodo Garbe, while Pietro Borgo, the new Managing Director of RMMV GmbH, will represent the Wheeled Vehicles division.
Technology for the modern battlefield: the Combat Systems division
The newly created Combat Systems division unites Rheinmetall’s complete portfolio of combat-oriented products in a single organization for the first time, ranging from tracked vehicles, turret systems and weapons to medium- and large-calibre ammunition and propellant technology. The move creates a systems supplier with a globally unique array of products and services for the world’s armies as well as a major global source of key components for air force and naval systems.
The new division encompasses five business units, each with a strong international orientation. The Combat Platforms business unit, led by Ralf Prechtl, brings together combat and combat support vehicles and related services as well turret systems, guns and weapon stations; medium- and large-calibre ammunition and the Group’s Test Centre in Unterlüß also form part of this unit. The Infantry business unit, with Werner Krämer at the helm, offers a wide array of infantry-related products, ranging from 40mm ammunition and pyrotechnics to fuse technology and lightweight mortar systems. Propulsion Systems, headed by Beat Steuri, equates just as before to the Nitrochemie Group, jointly owned by Rheinmetall and Switzerland’s RUAG AG, and focuses primarily on powder and propellant systems. The division’s Protection Systems business unit, directed by Dr. Stefan Nehlsen, combines active, passive and softkill protection systems from Rheinmetall and its subsidiaries Chempro, Verseidag and ADS. The division has international locations and subsidiaries in the United States, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and Italy, all of which come under the sway of Combat International, led by Norbert Schulze. Finally, Rheinmetall’s newly founded Plant Engineering unit in South Africa also belongs to the Combat Systems division.
A trusted partner of the world’s armed forces, the Combat Systems division is active today in over eighty countries. Internationally, the new organization intends to focus more sharply on growth markets in the Middle East and Asia.
The Electronic Solutions division: cutting edge electronic components and system solutions
The Electronic Solutions division embraces Rheinmetall Defence’s array of software-based system solutions and electronic components. These range from air defence systems, simulation technology and related services to reconnaissance, C4I, and fire control systems as well as electro-optical components. The new division’s mission is to gain market share and create growth through a well-targeted expansion of its international business operations. Concentrating forces within the division to produce new solutions for the global security sec