Rheinmetall has completed the acquisition of a controlling stake in the Croatian company DOK-ING and renamed it Rheinmetall Unmanned Vehicles, thereby creating its own division for unmanned ground systems.
DOK-ING is best known for its robotic systems used for demining and operations in hazardous environments. The company has already delivered around 500 platforms to customers in more than 40 countries.
For Rheinmetall, this is not just an investment in a single manufacturer, but an attempt to quickly secure a position in the heavy ground drone market, where demand is currently growing rapidly.
According to reports, the first joint projects will be based on the heavy hybrid modular Komodo platform, with a payload capacity of over 8.5 tons.
Rheinmetall plans to equip it with modules for direct and indirect fire support, reconnaissance, logistics, mine laying, and demining.
There is also mention of the concept of an unmanned armed “wingman” that could operate alongside tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, or support armored recovery and repair vehicles.
“Now our competence center in the field of unmanned and autonomous vehicles for military applications can be established in Croatia, with which we aim to achieve a strong market position in this new configuration in the segment of unmanned combat and combat support vehicles,” emphasized Björn Bernhard, CEO of Rheinmetall’s Vehicle Systems Europe division, on the occasion of regulatory approval.
