Rheinmetall, Rohde & Schwarz Team Up For Bundeswehr Procurement Programmes

Rheinmetall and Rohde & Schwarz have agreed to establish a joint venture to compete for two major German procurement projects: mobile tactical communications ( MoTaKo) and mobile tactical information network (MoTIV).

Rheinmetall will have a 74.9% stake in the joint venture, with Rohde & Schwarz holding the remaining 25.1%.

The joint venture plans to draw on the expertise of additional partners during individual project phases. Representatives of the two companies have now signed a contractual agreement to this effect, Rheinmetall company announced today.

MoTaKo and MoTIV are the German Army’s principle modernization projects. Total order volume is likely to be in the mid-ten-figure euro range, with thousands of Bundeswehr vehicles alone earmarked for retrofitting.

“By joining forces, Rheinmetall and Rohde & Schwarz have formed the suitable team for creating and implementing a digital communication and information management system for the Bundeswehr”, said Armin Papperger, chief executive of Rheinmetall AG.

“The planned joint venture will have at its finger tips the full range of expertise needed to reliably implement the MoTaKo and MoTIV projects, with everything derived from a single source.

“In order to do this, we intend to include other prominent defence contractors in the process.” He added.

Peter Riedel, President and COO of Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG, notes that “secure, up-to-date communications solutions play a crucial role in assuring effective command and control in combat operations.

Developed in tandem, MoTaKo and MoTIV will form the future “Heer/Streitkräftebasis” digital command and control system.

In the still-to-be-established joint venture company, Rheinmetall will be responsible for the command systems, the cross-functional operator interface and the complete vehicle integration process. Rohde & Schwarz will contribute its IP-based system solutions for secure communications.