Rheinmetall Defence sales surge in Q1
Rheinmetall on 8 May released its financial results for Q1 FY2020, which showed a strong performance despite the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
This performance was reinforced by the growth of the Defence division which saw significant sales increase by 18% compared to the same period in FY2019 to €740 million ($800 million).
Order backlogs also increased by 13% to €10.3 billion.
Overall, Rheinmetall increased consolidated sales by 1.1% to €1.36 billion but the effects of COVID-19 reduced operational earnings from €54 million to €34 million. However, Defence tripled its operating earnings to €29 million.
Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, said: ‘Our Defence sector has proven robust and resilient under these challenging macroeconomic circumstances and will help us to soften the impact of the crisis at the Group level.’
Papperger added that: ‘This is currently expected to remain the case over the further course of the year, too.’
More from Defence Notes
-
Leonardo unveils plans for Michelangelo air defence dome
The new multi-layered defence system will harness AI to neutralise airborne threats and protect Europe from Russian aggression.
-
What will next-gen counter-UAS capabilities for the US look like?
Future US counter-uncrewed aerial system solutions are likely to require a flexible, multi-layered approach to tackle a broad spectrum of new threats as they emerge.
-
Elbit Systems awarded $2.3 billion contract as results soar
The company’s order backlog as of 30 September totalled $25.2 billion and more than a third of this is scheduled to be fulfilled before the end of 2026.
-
US military foresees growing use of 3D printing
Advanced manufacturing has evolved to meet military requirements and now supports multiple US critical assets, including Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, F-18, F-22, F-35, Bradley, HMMWV and Patriot.