GoKawiilGermany can now produce more ammunition than the U.S., according to the head of German defense giant Rheinmetall, as a massive rearmament campaign gets underway in Europe.
Rheinmetall has more than quadrupled its annual production of medium-caliber ammunition, and ramped up output of artillery rounds to 1.1 million, up from 70,000, chief executive Armin Papperger told reporters last week, according to German media.
Medium-caliber ammunition rounds are larger than the bullets in machine guns but smaller than shells fired by popular artillery systems like howitzers. They're typically used in autocannons on tanks or armored vehicles, like the U.S. Army's Bradley infantry fighting vehicle.
Newsweek reached out to Rheinmetall for comment.
European countries are rushing to refill military stockpiles after U.S. President Donald Trump last year warned NATO members that they needed to spend more on defense and rely less on the U.S.
Europe has for decades leaned heavily on Washington's military assets on the continent, including expensive defense systems provided by the U.S. military.
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But the U.S. has made it clear that it wants to concentrate on the Indo-Pacific and the threat posed by China's powerful military, rather than propping up Europe.
The Trump administration withdrew significant weapons and military support for Ukraine last year, and is currently tied up with the lengthening conflict in the Middle East as the Iran war enters its third month.
But even prior to the Iran war, European countries had announced their plans to build up their own defense capabilities.
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