Lockheed Martin is in talks with Rheinmetall to build ATACMS and Hellfire missiles in Germany, according to reports from WirtschaftsWoche.

Plans for local missile production

US defence giant Lockheed Martin is considering shifting parts of its missile production to Germany. The company is in discussions with Rheinmetall about manufacturing advanced weapons, including ATACMS and Hellfire missiles, at Rheinmetall’s expanding facility in Unterlüß, northern Germany.

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Dennis Goege, Lockheed’s head of operations in Europe, told WirtschaftsWoche: “We are already actively discussing additional manufacturing – including for ATACMS and Hellfire missiles.” He noted that the exact range of missiles to be produced has not yet been finalised.

Strengthening ties between Lockheed and Rheinmetall

The two companies have been deepening their partnership in recent years. In April, they announced plans to go beyond their 2024 memorandum of understanding. Under this agreement, Lockheed would provide missile and rocket technology, while Rheinmetall would take responsibility for production and sales within Europe.

Rheinmetall, which this year began producing fuselage parts for Lockheed’s F-35 fighter jets, declined to comment on the latest report.

Political spotlight on Unterlüß site

The Unterlüß plant, already central to Germany’s rearmament efforts, is set to receive high-profile visitors. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil are scheduled to attend the opening of a new artillery production line there.

The visit underscores the growing strategic importance of the site as Europe works to ramp up its defence production capabilities.

Published by Kerry Harrison

Kerry’s been writing professionally for over 14 years, after graduating with a First Class Honours Degree in Multimedia Journalism from Canterbury Christ Church University. She joined Orbital Today in 2022. She covers everything from UK launch updates to how the wider space ecosystem is evolving. She enjoys digging into the detail and explaining complex topics in a way that feels straightforward. Before writing about space, Kerry spent years working with cybersecurity companies. She’s written a lot about threat intelligence, data protection, and how cyber and space are increasingly overlapping, whether that’s satellite security or national defence. With a strong background in tech writing, she’s used to making tricky, technical subjects more approachable. That mix of innovation, complexity, and real-world impact is what keeps her interested in the space sector.

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