Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG
CEO salary = $5.5 million pa
Global defence revenue in 2019 = $3.9 billion
Sells: tanks and other weaponized vehicles, cannons, missiles, bombs
Rheinmetall is Germany's largest weapons manufacturer, having supplied German forces since World War II and a number of foreign nations, including Indonesia, despite the German ban on arms sales to 'conflict' areas. During the Second World War Rheinmetall was staffed in part by enslaved people from Nazi concentration camps. Enslaved people were forced to work on the very weapons being used to defend the Reich and prevent their own liberation.
Rheinmetall specialises in weaponized vehicles such as tanks, also manufacturing the guns, missiles and bombs to go with them. Rheinmetall has close partnerships with Australian companies Bisalloy and NIOA. Bisalloy provides the steel for Rheinmetall’s weaponized vehicles, while NIOA makes bombs, bullets and other munitions. Rheinmetall’s website boasts:
In 2019, Rheinmetall concluded sales with customers in 143 countries. We are represented at 41 locations in Germany, a further 42 in Europe (excluding Germany), 14 on the American continent, 18 in Asia, 6 in Africa and 8 in Australia.
In 2014 Rhienmetall made a deal with Indonesian state-owned weapons manufacturer PT Pindad to produce 30-150mm munitions under license for Rheinmetall 'mobile weapons stations' such as tanks and armoured vehicles. This arrangement allows Rheinmetall to continue profiting from the war on West Papua despite the German ban on exporting weapons to 'conflict zones'.
Rheinmetall sells tanks, missiles and other killing technology to Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Brunei, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Czech Republic, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Lithuania, Malaysia, Nederlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, UK and UAE. This list is not exhaustive.
Kostrad driving Rheinmetall's Leopard tanks in 2020
Indonesia received the first eight of an order for 61 Leopard 2A4 from Rheinmetall in 201
The Marder is a tracked infantry fighting vehicle, which has been manufactured since the 1970s. Rheinmetall announced Indonesia's purchase of 42 M1A3 infantry fighting vehicles in 2016, as part of a €216 million deal for tracked combat vehicles.
The 'Sky Shield' air defence system was taken over by Rheinmetall from the Swiss company Oerlikon. Several of these long range attack weapons were sold to the Indonesian airforce. They are know to be deployed in the Kalimantan airforce base. Kalimantan has been devastated by military-backed coal, oil, logging and palm oil businesses over the past decade.
The L44 120mm tank guns are designed to go with Rheinmetall's Leopard tanks. Most countries operating Rheinmetall tanks also buy Rheinmetall tank guns and munitions. Indonesia is no exception to this rule. Indonesian government owned manufacturer PT Pindad has produced munitions for Rheinmetall combat vehicles under license since 2014.
Leopard tanks with L44 guns sold by Rheinmetall
The DM11 tank ammunition is designed for use with the L44 smoothbore gun, which is used on the Leopard 2A4 tanks bought by Indonesia in 2012. Indonesian state-owned weapons factory PT Pindad manufactures Rheinmetall munitions under a license agreement negotiated in 2014.
Rheinmetall's sales pitch for DM11 tank ammunition says they designed these weapons
for engaging non-armoured and lightly armoured targets such as vehicles, antitank positions (whether dug-in or in the open), and field fortifications. Furthermore, thanks to its high precision and maximum effective range of up to five kilometres, it can be used for penetrating barriers and engaging targets taking cover behind walls, etc., as well as for breeching enemy defences and creating avenues of approach for friendly forces in built-up areas
A 'target taking cover' is a human being.