New Rheinmetall facility in Dillingen an der Donau to handle large-scale destruction of World War ordnance and Bundeswehr ammunition

New Rheinmetall facility in Dillingen an der Donau to handle large-scale destruction of World War ordnance and Bundeswehr ammunition

(IN BRIEF) Rheinmetall is moving forward with plans to build a large-scale ammunition disposal plant on Lerchenberg in the Dillingen an der Donau district of Bavaria, with operations scheduled to begin in 2026. The facility will dismantle and destroy both legacy munitions from the World Wars and outdated stockpiled ammunition from the Bundeswehr and NATO, addressing part of an estimated millions of tonnes of unexploded ordnance across Germany and surrounding seas. The site spans 41 hectares and includes 32 bunkers for safe storage. Earlier in 2025, Rheinmetall expanded its expertise by acquiring Stascheit GmbH, a company specializing in explosive ordnance recovery and disposal, which will be integrated alongside the new plant into the company’s Projects & Services business unit. Together, these efforts reinforce Rheinmetall’s commitment to tackling Europe’s dangerous legacy of munitions while supporting environmental and public safety.

(PRESS RELEASE) DÜSSELDORF, 3-Sep-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Rheinmetall is preparing to address one of the country’s longstanding explosive ordnance challenges by constructing a state-of-the-art ammunition disposal facility in the Dillingen an der Donau district of Bavaria. Scheduled to begin operations in early 2026, the plant will be located on Lerchenberg, a 41-hectare site that once served as a Bundeswehr depot and contains 32 bunkers capable of storing up to 900 tonnes of net explosive mass.

The new facility is designed to handle not only large stockpiles of legacy munitions from both World Wars but also more recent stockpiled ammunition, including outdated Bundeswehr and NATO reserves. The project underscores Rheinmetall’s commitment to providing comprehensive explosive ordnance disposal services for both onshore and offshore environments.

The scale of the problem is immense: an estimated 1.6 million tonnes of legacy munitions are thought to rest on the seabeds of the North and Baltic Seas, ranging from artillery shells and sea mines to aerial bombs. In addition, more than 2 million tonnes of bombs were dropped on Germany and occupied territories during the Second World War, leaving behind a dangerous legacy. In southern Germany alone, around 20,000 tonnes of old ammunition remain to be recovered, neutralized, and destroyed.

Earlier this year, Rheinmetall strengthened its position in this sector by acquiring Stascheit GmbH, a Saxony-Anhalt–based company specializing in the detection, recovery, and destruction of explosive ordnance, often in connection with offshore projects such as wind farms. Stascheit GmbH, along with the upcoming Bavarian facility, will be incorporated into Rheinmetall’s Projects & Services business unit, expanding the company’s capacity to address explosive remnants on both land and sea.

Through these strategic steps, Rheinmetall is positioning itself as a key provider of safe, reliable, and large-scale solutions for the disposal of hazardous munitions, contributing to public safety, environmental protection, and the long-term management of Europe’s unexploded ordnance legacy.

Media Contacts:

Oliver Hoffmann
Head of Public Relations
Rheinmetall AG
Tel.: +49-(0)211 473 4748
oliver.hoffmann@
rheinmetall.com

SOURCE: RHEINMETALL AG