Rheinmetall faces fresh criticism over delayed and flawed German defence projects

Bundeswehr’s acquisition office has identified serious shortcomings in two flagship Rheinmetall projects: the Skyranger 30 mobile air-defence system and the Schwerer Waffenträger Infanterie heavy armoured vehicle. The vehicle contract, valued at roughly €2.7 billion for 123 wheeled carriers to be built in Australia, now faces a delay of at least 11 months, with the first units originally slated for 2025. Skyranger 30 deliveries, initially planned for mid-2026, have been pushed to mid-2027, and the acceptance process has been postponed.

Rheinmetall argues the delay is limited to five months and stems from a client-driven upgrade of the Boxer drive module, insisting the full series will still be delivered in 2027-2028 without further setbacks. These German-side concerns arrive after Romania’s defence ministry complained that Rheinmetall missed the April 2026 deadline for two modernised air-defence systems, incurring daily penalties and requiring replacement of non-conforming subsystems. The mounting criticism puts pressure on Rheinmetall, a major beneficiary of Europe’s post-Ukraine rearmament programmes, as political and parliamentary leaders demand greater predictability and faster delivery of military equipment.