Germany Surpasses US To Become Leading Ammunition Producer: Report

Germany has become the world's largest ammunition producer, overtaking the United States, according to a new report. 

The country has massively increased its military production in recent years, especially after Europe boosted defence spending following the Russia-Ukraine war, Germany's defence company Rheinmetall stated.

Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said that production has risen significantly across key categories. Military truck output has grown from around 600 units per year to about 4,500, medium-calibre ammunition from 8 lakh to 4 million units, and artillery shells from roughly 70,000 to 1.1 million per year.

Papperger expects growth of about 40 percent this year, with projected revenue of roughly 14 to 15 billion euros, according to a German publication.

"Germany now has more capacity to produce conventional ammunition," said Papperger. He also pointed out that the defence industry, which earlier struggled to find workers, is now attracting huge interest. In 2025, Rheinmetall received around 3,50,000 job applications.

The company works with about 11,500 suppliers in Germany, including around 4,500 from the automotive sector. Around 65 percent of its products are exported, mainly to other NATO countries

Rheinmetall currently employs around 44,000 people and aims to grow to around 70,000 employees by 2030, with annual growth rates of around 30 to 50 percent. The company expects that its supply chain could support an additional around 210,000 jobs.

Papperger, who is also president of the German Security and Defence Industry Association (BDSV), predicts that arms production could replace about a third of jobs in Germany's automotive industry. 

He also noted that the industry's peak growth is not expected immediately, but is likely to be reached between 2035 and 2040.

"Germany plans to have the strongest conventional army in Europe by 2039," said Defence Minister Boris Pistorius last week.

European countries are increasing their military spending and rebuilding their weapon stockpiles because they are being encouraged to depend less on the United States for defence support.

They stepped up their efforts after US President Donald Trump warned NATO members that they should spend more on their own defence instead of relying heavily on American protection.