Automobile developer Volkswagen has announced its intent to build tactical capabilities for the German Armed Forces.
The objective, revealed by company CEO Oliver Blume, is expected to support Berlin’s ongoing defense modernization projects as well as the country’s supply chain amidst concerns with its industrial partner, the US.
Blume noted that the Wolfsburg-based firm is open to expanding its production capacity and is willing to explore related approaches, but has not yet been approached by potential collaborators.
“First off, I think, given the current geopolitical situation, what we are seeing now in Germany and Europe is exactly the right decisions, in the sense that we need to invest more in order to be safe again,” Blume said in an interview with The Telegraph.
“We are not in specific talks about what Volkswagen can do. My take on it is, if there was the option of military vehicles going forward, we would have to look at the concepts.”
Bolstering German Industrial Base
If reinstituted for military support, Volkswagen’s plants would increase equipment availability for German warfighters alongside current German automotive manufacturers such as Rheinmetall and KNDS, which already allocated some of their in-country car parts factories for weapons manufacturing.
“We did that in the past,” Blume said. “Volkswagen Group has automotive competence. We are ready to provide consultancy and advice.”
“But where we are, this is just open-ended and initiatives will be brought forward by the defence industry more than anything.”
Among Volkswagen’s best-known military systems during the Second World War were the Kübelwagen light utility vehicle, with over 50,000 units produced, and the Schwimmwagen light amphibious vehicle, with more than 15,000 units produced.
