Rheinmetall says it could take over idle Volkswagen plants to produce tanks
Rheinmetall is considering taking over one of Volkswagens soon-to-be idle plants, as the growing arms maker scours Germany for extra production capacity while struggling carmakers scale back. Chief executive Armin Papperger on Wednesday said VWs plant in Osnabrück was a good fit for Rheinmetall operations, but stressed any decision to acquire idle car factories would depend on securing more tank orders.
VWs Osnabrück plant is one of three set to become idle within the next two years after the carmaker decided in December to halve production capacity in the country because of a slowdown in European car sales. Papperger said it was far more complex to build something than to use something thats already there. He said Rheinmetall was in constant conversation with VW because of a military trucks joint venture with the carmakers MAN Truck & Bus...
https://www.ft.com/content/f4bb94b3-...b-bbba26d0f7ec
Russian 'Groundhog Day'
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1...862843475.html
America Turns to Ukraine to Build Better Drones
American defense startups have teamed up with Ukrainian manufacturers to develop advanced drones for the US military, according to
The Wall Street Journal.
The media notes that U.S. startups have spent billions of venture capital dollars in hopes of developing the small drones that the Pentagon says it needs for future conflicts, but many have produced only expensive aircraft that dont fly very well. Ukrainian drone makers, meanwhile, have mastered mass-producing drones despite limited resources and are looking for new customers and capital. Now, both sides are coming together, and this cooperation is attracting the attention of the U.S. Department of Defense.
No American company is keeping up with Ukraine. Their developments work perfectly, and they have the best laboratory for testing all models in combat conditions, Nathan Mintz, co-founder of the Southern California startup CX2, which last year signed an agreement to install its software and sensors on Ukrainian drones for combat testing, stated...
https://mil.in.ua/en/news/america-tu...better-drones/