CHANGE: Volkswagen to shift from cars to missile defense in deal with Israel’s Iron Dome maker.
Volkswagen is in discussions with Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems regarding a deal that would convert one of the German automaker’s factories from car manufacturing to missile defence production, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
The plan involves transforming Volkswagen’s Osnabrück plant to produce components for Rafael’s Iron Dome air defence system, according to the report. The Israeli state-owned company’s system would be manufactured at the German facility under the proposed arrangement.
The deal aims to preserve all 2,300 jobs at the Osnabrück site in western Germany, which has faced potential closure. The two companies plan to market the defence systems to European governments.
The German government is actively supporting the proposal, according to the Financial Times report.
As Noah Pollack, channeling Norm Macdonald:
I don't know whether you guys are history buffs, but this is quite a turnabout for both parties https://t.co/PrrWyWmBHg
— Noah Pollak (@NoahPollak) March 24, 2026
Related: Volkswagen Could Start Building Military Vehicles. The beginning of the lede is a riot:
Volkswagen is no stranger to the military sector, and the automaker is now exploring the possibility of producing military vehicles at its Osnabrück factory in Germany.
Just don’t mention the war…