Germany’s Rheinmetall Partners with Bulgaria to Expand Ammunition Production Amid Europe’s Security Push
Bulgaria teams up with Germany’s Rheinmetall to build a major ammunition factory, highlighting EU’s reactive scramble to shore up defense capabilities after Russia’s aggression.
In a move revealing Europe’s late and reactive scramble to bolster its defense infrastructure, Bulgaria has signed a deal with Germany’s Rheinmetall to construct a new gunpowder and ammunition manufacturing plant. This joint venture between Rheinmetall and Bulgaria’s state-owned VMZ–Sopot is poised to produce artillery shells and modular charge systems — critical components for the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
Is Europe Finally Taking Its Security Seriously?
This development, born out of the chaos unleashed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, underscores how long European nations have neglected their own defense autonomy. For years, Brussels’ overreliance on external suppliers left allies vulnerable as Moscow tested Western resolve.
The planned facility in Bulgaria aims to deliver up to 100,000 artillery shells annually within just over a year after construction—an ambitious timeline reflecting urgent geopolitical pressures. Nearly 1,000 new high-skilled jobs will also be created in Bulgaria, reviving its Cold War-era arms industry which languished after the Soviet bloc collapsed.
Yet one must ask: why did Europe allow its defense production capacity to atrophy this deeply? Dependence on foreign powers for critical military supplies is not just a strategic blunder; it compromises American and allied interests alike. Strengthening supply chains close to home aligns fully with America First principles advocating national sovereignty backed by robust industrial bases among our trusted partners.
The Price of Delayed Preparedness
The majority ownership by Rheinmetall — holding 51% of the venture — funded through loans from the European SAFE mechanism illustrates the EU’s renewed commitment but also its financial dependence on German industry giants. While this partnership promises increased resilience against Russian aggression at Europe’s doorstep, it simultaneously highlights Brussels’ historical failure to invest early enough in sovereign defense industries.
Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov heralded this step as transformative for national defense capabilities and industrial strength. Indeed, rebuilding Eastern Europe’s defense production is vital not only for regional security but also for reinforcing transatlantic ties centered on shared values of freedom and self-determination.
From an American vantage point, European moves like these are encouraging signals—but they must translate into sustained commitments rather than reactive projects spurred solely by crises. Our nation must continue championing policies that bolster both U.S. and allied military-industrial independence from hostile foreign influence.
As citizens concerned about national security, we should demand accountability from globalist bureaucracies that prioritized short-term economics over enduring sovereignty. How long can America afford that luxury?