In demand: Rheinmetall’s largest order so far this year was for Boxer armoured vehicles (pictured) worth a total of £1.9bn
Germany’s biggest arms maker has racked up a record order book worth more than £41bn as sales and profits continue to rise amid the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Rheinmetall’s sales in the first half of the year rose by a third to £3.3bn and its order book is expected to rise to £60bn by the end of the year.
Operating profits also rose to £346m, almost double last year’s levels.
The group said key projects had included artillery orders for Germany and Ukraine, with the largest order of the year so far being a contract with the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, for Boxer armoured vehicles worth a total of £1.9bn.
Chief Armin Papperger has angered the Kremlin by announcing plans to build a series of factories in Ukraine, focused on maintaining tanks, ammunition and air defence.
Last week, the Russian Foreign Ministry called the factories a “legitimate target.”