19/12/2024 | Press release

In cooperation with its partner company blackned, Rheinmetall has received a large-scale order for a major project within the program “Digitalization of land-based operations” (D-LBO) by the German Bundeswehr, worth €1.2bn gross. The order includes the integration of IT-systems for all vehicle and platform-systems of the land forces. Rheinmetall accounts for around €730m gross of the contract volume. The remaining share of around €470m goes to blackned GmbH.

The corresponding procurement contract has now been signed by representatives of the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) and the ISI working group (ArGe IT-Systemintegration), which is made up of the companies blackned GmbH and Rheinmetall Electronics GmbH. Among others subcontractors, Airbus Defence and Space GmbH will be the outstanding ArGe-partner.

Until mid of 2030, the new technology will be integrated in more than 10,000 combat and support vehicles of the Bundeswehr. This hardware-related integration part, which will incorporate the pre-conversion of the vehicle platforms, has been manifested in a second procurement order. Contractor in this case is ArGe D-LBO, consisting of Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH and KNDS Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG.

D-LBO is a key-project in modernizing the land forces of the Bundeswehr and one of the most significant procurement schemes of the German Army. The modern IT enables the interconnectivity of vehicles and soldiers as well as of sensors and effectors while the exchange of real-time information increases the operational capabilities and interoperability of units equipped with D-LBO.

Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG: “We are grateful that we can contribute significantly to the digitalization of the land forces in this project - both in IT development and in equipping the hardware. The new technology will increase the command-and-control capability of the army units fundamentally, and improves the interoperability within the Bundeswehr and with NATO allies, which will be particularly important for the new Brigade 45 in Lithuania”.

The contract for IT-system integration has a term of up to ten years and covers all activities concerning the integration of new digital radio and command systems into a standardized IT-system. The configuration control will be in the hands of BWI GmbH, the Bundeswehr's head office for IT-systems.