Israeli authorities owned Rafael Superior Protection Programs is in superior negotiations to transform an enormous Volkswagen automotive plant in Germany right into a manufacturing unit for manufacturing elements for the Iron Dome air protection system, UK newspaper “The Monetary Occasions” (FT) studies. Iron Dome has already been bought to a spread of European international locations together with Finland and Greece and different international locations are in talks to purchase the protection system together with Germany. Rafael has German subsidiaries engaged in protection manufacturing for Germany and different European international locations.
Volkswagen has encountered extreme monetary difficulties with earnings lower by tens of percentages in recent times and for the primary time in its historical past the corporate is contemplating shutting down factories in Germany. In line with the FT one of many factories scheduled to be closed down, which is in Osnabrueck, can be transformed, if an settlement is signed with Rafael, to a manufacturing unit for manufacturing elements for the Iron Dome air protection system. Among the many essential shareholders within the Volkswagen Group is the state of Decrease Saxony, in addition to the Qatari funding fund (10%). The state hopes that the deal will “save” the two,300 staff employed on the plant.
“The objective is to save lots of everybody, possibly even develop,” a kind of concerned within the transfer advised the UK newspaper, “The potential is excessive. However it’s also a person determination of the employees in the event that they wish to be a part of the thought.” Employees at Volkswagen are a part of the administration and have a big say in enterprise and strategic choices. The sphere of arms manufacturing has to date been morally frowned upon in Germany, so it will likely be fascinating to see whether or not staff will want to maintain their jobs with the assistance of protection manufacturing, or threat unemployment.
Considered one of Israel’s main supporters
Below the plan, the plant will produce the vans on which the Iron Dome batteries are mounted, in addition to the mills wanted for the system to operate and the launchers, however not the interceptor missiles. Rafael’s plans are to create a separate manufacturing unit to fabricate the Tamir interceptor missiles which might be a part of the system. The primary manufacturing might start inside a yr to 18 months, in line with the FT.
In current months, it has been reported that Elbit will use the factories of numerous German firms to supply the EuroPuls rocket system, which has been bought to many armies in Europe. Elbit is a companion with Diehl and KNDS within the EuroPuls undertaking, and in line with studies, Bayern Chemie and MBDA will even be a part of the manufacturing. On the German facet, it has been reported that there’s a plan to signal an enormous deal of as much as €6 billion to acquire lots of of such methods for the German military and different European armies. In line with the FT, Israeli firms are “selecting” Germany as a manufacturing website because of the particular relations between the international locations and the truth that Berlin is one in all Israel’s most main supporters in Europe.
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Volkswagen was based in 1937 in Nazi Germany. Its factories used compelled labor and it produced army automobiles and vans for the German military throughout World Warfare II, in addition to the V1 rocket and fighter jets.
Printed by Globes, Israel enterprise information – en.globes.co.il – on March 25, 2026.
© Copyright of Globes Writer Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2026.
