Rheinmetall AG

Rheinmetall AG is the largest weapons manufacturer in Germany and consistently ranks among the world’s largest 30 weapons manufacturers.

Its website’s Corporate Citizenship page says: “Rheinmetall is aware of its historical responsibility towards Israel and is fully committed to the Jewish state's right to exist.” This is a highly unusual and controversial normative political statement for a corporation to make. 

Gaza genocide

There are no known Rheinmetall-made weapons, systems, or munitions that are in routine use by the Israeli military and there is no conclusive evidence that Israel has used Rheinmetall weapons. However, the company was implicated by one possible delivery from Germany during the Gaze genocide. 

In January 2024, German media reported that the German government had provisionally approved an urgent request made by Israel in November 2023 to supply it with 10,000 rounds of tank ammunition made by Rheinmetall. Germany was reportedly considering fulfilling the request from its military’s existing stockpiles, which would later be replenished.

This delivery was reportedly still held up by the German government as of September 2024. A month later, the German government reportedly granted an export permit to Rheinmetall Waffe Munition, the division that makes large-caliber ammunition, including tanks rounds.

A single Israeli source later indicated that tank rounds have arrived from Germany, and at the same time claimed that they were old and faulty. The company has not publicly responded to these allegations. 

F-35 Components

In 2023, Rheinmetall was subcontracted by Northrop Grumman to produce the center fuselage (main body), for the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet. Rheinmetall built a new factory for that purpose in Weeze, Germany, where production started in 2025. It is expected to produce parts for 400 F-35 jets “for the air forces of Germany and other friendly nations." This number approximately fits the total backlog of F-35s, which was reported as 416 as of the beginning of 2026. 

However, there is no conclusive evidence that Rheinmetall will supply specifically the F-35I jets of Israel. The F-35 center fuselage has been produced by Northrop Grumman in California since 2004. By the end of 2025, when Rheinmetall started parallel production in Germany, Israel had already received 45 jets. Israel is expected to receive 30 additional F-35 jets after 2025, and some of these may contain the center fuselage made by Rheinmetall.

Israel’s military industrial complex 

Rheinmetall has been collaborating closely with the Israeli arms industry, mostly with Israel’s three largest weapons manufacturers: Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. The latter two are government-owned, so this constitutes a direct business relationship between Rheinmetall and the State of Israel. 

The goal of these joint projects is to produce Israeli-developed weapons and systems in Europe and North America. In all known cases, which are listed below, these are destined for European and NATO clients and not for use by the Israeli military. However, the Israeli military likely benefits from these collaborations by way of information sharing and upgrades that are based on other user experiences. 

In addition, by facilitating more Israeli weapons exports, Rheinmetall directly supports the Israeli arms industry and overall economy. In at least two cases, of Spain and Slovenia, Rheinmetall’s involvement allowed these countries to circumvent their two-way arms embargo on Israel and continue buying Israeli anti-tank Spike missiles made in Germany.

155mm artillery howitzer 
With Elbit Systems since 2022

Rheinmetall and Elbit jointly “develop, manufacture and market an automated European 155mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer system.” They showcased its capabilities in 2023 with hopes to sell it to Germany, the U.K., Hungary, and other European clients. It is based on the Sigma/Roem howitzer, which Elbit Systems developed for the Israeli military and that was first used in combat in 2026. 

Canada’s Joint Fire Modernization project 
With Elbit Systems since 2022 

Rheinmetall Canada has an agreement with Elbit Systems to bid jointly on this project. This would incorporate Elbit’s Torch system, which it originally developed for the Israeli military. The Canadian government has not awarded this contract yet. 

 
HERO suicide drones 
With UVision since 2021 

The two companies collaborate on producing UVision’s HERO “loitering munitions” drones for the European market. As of 2025, eight countries in Europe have ordered at least one of the three HERO variants. Rheinmetall markets these drones as “based on extensive field experience and tested in combat,” referring to Israel’s use of these drones in Gaza and elsewhere. 

Multi Mission Radar 
With IAI subsidiary ELTA since 2015 

Through this collaboration, Rheinmetall Canada provided to Canada the radar system that ELTA originally developed for the Israeli Iron Done missile defense system. The two companies later sold this system to Hungary and hope to expand to additional NATO clients. 

Harop suicide drone 
With IAI since 2007 

The two companies collaborated to provide the German military with a joint system that combines the Rheinmetall KZO drone with the IAI Harop “loitering munition” drone into a networked reconnaissance–attack system. The combined system was tested successfully but the German government ultimately decided against acquiring it.

EuroSpike missiles 
With Rafael since 2004 

EuroSpike GmbH is a joint venture of Rheinmetall (40%), Diehl Defence (40%), and Rafael (20%) to produce in Germany European variants of the Rafael Spike anti-tank missiles. It has provided missiles to Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, as reported by the Database of Israeli Military and Security Export.