Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat.
Rheinmetall at ILA Berlin 2026: BERLIN, GERMANY — Standing under the banner of a unified, self-reliant Europe, German technology giant Rheinmetall has taken center stage at the ILA Berlin 2026 aerospace exhibition. Sprawled across a massive 840-square-meter dual-level pavilion at BER Airport, the Düsseldorf-based defense group is positioning itself as Europe’s premier “One-Stop-Shop” for multi-domain warfare.
Central to Rheinmetall’s 2026 showcase is its advanced “sensor-to-shooter” philosophy. This integrated framework links strategic space-based tracking to tactical ground and aerial strike assets, effectively minimizing target-engagement loops to a fraction of traditional times.
Autonomous Aviation & Collaborative Combat
[ RECONNAISSANCE & STRIKE LOOP ]
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
[SAR Satellites] ──► [Luna NG Drone] ──► [FV-014 LMS] ──► [Impact]
(Space Track) (Tactical Eye) (Loitering Strike)
In a milestone partnership aimed directly at the German Bundeswehr’s upcoming procurement goals, Rheinmetall has teamed up with Boeing to bring the MQ-28 Ghost Bat to the European theater.
MQ-28 Ghost Bat: This combat-proven, autonomous “Collaborative Combat Aircraft” (CCA) is designed to act as a loyal wingman alongside crewed fighter jets in highly contested airspaces. Boasting a modular design and over 150 successful test flights, it seamlessly handles electronic warfare, reconnaissance, and strike integration. Rheinmetall will serve as the system manager in Germany, adapting the aircraft to national mandates while providing total operational, maintenance, and logistical infrastructure.
Space-Based Reconnaissance
Recognizing that modern warfare is won or lost in the orbital domain, Rheinmetall is displaying its new sovereign satellite infrastructure.
SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) Satellites: Operated through the Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions joint venture in Neuss, these active-radar satellites pierce through dense cloud cover, fog, smoke, and total darkness to provide continuous, high-resolution imagery. Backed by a recently secured multi-billion euro contract from the Bundeswehr, this sovereign German satellite constellation is currently providing real-time target acquisition data to fortify and police NATO’s vulnerable eastern flank.
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Rhienmetall’s Luna NG UAV.
Precision Strike & Loitering Munitions
Bridging the historic operational gap between small tactical reconnaissance drones and conventional artillery, Rheinmetall is debuting its fully European-manufactured loitering system.
FV-014 Loitering Munition System (LMS): This lethal platform can remain airborne for up to 70 minutes, mapping and loitering over areas up to 100 kilometers away. Using a 360-degree bow-mounted optical gimbal, it can monitor targets for extended periods before striking with precision, operated either autonomously or via a networked ground station. It works in tandem with the Luna NG drone, which serves as the core scouting element in Rheinmetall’s tactical loop.
Advanced Aerostructures & Fifth-Gen Manufacturing
Rheinmetall is also showcasing its rapid pivot into high-end aviation manufacturing, anchored by a newly minted facility in Weeze, Lower Rhine.
F-35 Lightning II Fuselage Production: Operating on a massive industrial contract for US partner Northrop Grumman, Rheinmetall’s highly automated facility is slated to produce 400 center fuselage sections—the high-tech “heart” connecting the jet’s hydraulics, avionics, and weapons bays. Having started production just last summer, the company announced that its eighth F-35 center section is already on the line, cementing Germany’s role in the global supply chain for the world’s most advanced stealth fighter.
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Rheinmetall Skyranger Air-Defence System.
Ground-Based Air Defense (GBAD)
The war in Ukraine has radically reshaped European air defense priorities, forcing a shift back toward mobile, heavily protected, and rapid-firing close-range protection assets.
Skyranger 30 System: At ILA 2026, Rheinmetall is exhibiting the Skyranger 30 turret integrated onto a Boxer 8×8 armored wheeled vehicle. To counter the complex drone and missile swarms defining modern battlefields, this variant is uniquely up-armed with MBDA’s DefendAir guided missiles, offering a highly mobile, armored, and dual-effector umbrella for moving mechanized columns.
Special Forces Mobility & Air-Drop Logistics
For rapid-reaction forces requiring immediate, hard-hitting mobility behind enemy lines, Rheinmetall introduced a highly deployable vehicle package.
Caracal 4×4 Airborne Vehicle: A highly agile, low-profile tactical platform designed to carry a 1,200 kg payload. It can scale from a simple troop carrier to a heavily armed anti-tank platform.
ATAX Land Air Transport System: Developed in tandem with IrvinGQ Ltd., this modular “Rapid Rigging / De-Rigging Airdrop System” allows the Caracal to be rigged, parachuted out of cargo planes directly into hot drop zones, and de-rigged instantly upon landing, giving special operations units immediate, highly mobile firepower with minimal logistical lag.
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