Name: Germanys Rheinmetall boosts NATO defenses with Baltic weapons plant
Uploaded: 2025-11-06T14:17:16.599Z
Duration: 3 min 9 s
Description: German defense company Rheinmetall is building a factory for artillery shells in Lithuania. The goal is to strengthen the defense capabilities of the Baltic region and Europe.

German defense company Rheinmetall is building a factory for artillery shells in Lithuania. The goal is to strengthen the defense capabilities of the Baltic region and Europe.

Berlin

German defense company Rheinmetall has begun construction of a major ammunition factory in Baiso Gala, central Lithuania. The facility, which will produce tens of thousands of 155mm artillery shells, is intended to strengthen defense capabilities across Lithuania, the Baltic region, and Europe.

The project involves a €300 million investment and will create 150 new jobs, marking a significant step in Germany's long-term commitment to its Baltic allies. This initiative, along with the recent opening of a Bundeswehr logistics center in Rukla, Lithuania, is part of broader efforts to reinforce NATO's eastern flank in response to increased security concerns following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Germany's Rheinmetall boosts NATO defenses with Baltic weapons plant

It's a groundbreaking moment, quite literally. In Baiso Gala, central Lithuania, construction has begun on a factory that will produce tens of thousands of 155mm artillery shells. The goal? To bolster defence capabilities across Lithuania, the Baltics and Europe. The German defence giant Rheinmetall is behind the project. The facility will span 340 hectares, with production expected to begin in just a few months. I think it's a very important project, especially on the eastern flank, because of the logistics. If you see, for example, that we all produce our ammunition in Germany or in the western part of Europe, the logistics is a big problem usually. Rheinmetall is going to invest 300 million euros directly here in Lithuania and create 150 new jobs here in the region. It's a significant boost for the local economy and a strategic step in Germany's long-term commitment to its Baltic ally. This partnership between two EU and NATO members has taken on new urgency since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. For Lithuania, it's about deterrence, not just defence. This friendship and cooperation for us means a lot. And it means that we are not only one in whole Europe, we are working in a team. So it brings us a more secure feeling and we feel safe. Just weeks ago, another major step in Germany's military presence in the Baltics. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius officially opened the Bundeswehr's new logistics centre in Rukla, Lithuania. It's part of a broader strategy to strengthen NATO's eastern flank. Like the planned ammunition factory in Baisugala, the logistics hub in Rukla marks a long-term German commitment in the region. Over the next two years, the Bundeswehr will establish a full brigade in the Baltic states. 5,000 soldiers, supported by logistics units, military police, administrative staff, chaplains and even a German school. We don't want to be an island here just for ourselves. We want to be part of the Lithuanian community. That is our goal. It is important to us to teach German children about Lithuanian traditions. Meanwhile Germany's defence industry is booming. Rheinmetall hopes its new ammunition factory will serve as another milestone in Europe's expanding defence ambitions. The war in Ukraine has triggered a surge in defence spending across Western nations. For Rheinmetall, this could mean billions in additional revenue in the coming years.

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