Rheinmetall, South Korea’s LIG form air defense venture

Rheinmetall Unveils Air Defense and Drone Tech at Eurosatory 2026

Rheinmetall AG opened Eurosatory 2026 in Paris on Monday with a suite of announcements spanning air defense, counter-drone systems, and autonomous platforms, headlined by a new partnership with South Korea’s LIG Defense & Aerospace aimed at plugging gaps in European missile defense.

Joint Venture Targets NATO Air Defense Gaps

The German defense group and LIG D&A — formerly known as LIG Nex1 — announced plans to form a joint venture in which Rheinmetall will hold a majority stake. The partnership will localize and further develop LIG D&A’s medium- and long-range air defense missile systems for sale in Europe, pairing them with Rheinmetall’s very short-range air defense capabilities. The two companies also agreed to co-develop new short-range air defense missiles to address what they described as current gaps in that segment.rheinmetall

“Together, LIG D&A and Rheinmetall Air Defence offer a highly complementary portfolio of ground-based air defence solutions designed to meet the market’s immediate needs and future challenges,” said Oliver Dürr, CEO of Rheinmetall’s Air Defence division. LIG D&A’s CEO Ickhyun Shin called it a bid to “establish a defence powerhouse in Europe for air defense missile solutions and beyond,” citing lessons from Ukraine and the Middle East about the need for independent supply chains.rheinmetall

LIG D&A brings combat-proven systems including the L-SAM long-range and MSAM-II medium-range interceptors, as well as the portable CHIRON short-range missile. The South Korean firm recently opened a European representative office in Munich.rheinmetall

Counter-Drone Arsenal on Display

Rheinmetall’s exhibition at Paris Nord Villepinte, running through June 19, features several counter-UAS systems reflecting battlefield demand driven by the proliferation of drones in Ukraine. The company is showing the Skyranger 30 mobile air defense system mounted on its Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle, as well as the Skyspotter, a multi-sensor early warning system designed to detect, identify, and track airborne threats in real time.unmannedairspace

A new CT-025 20 unmanned turret, integrating AESA radar and a 25mm cannon, also had its debut at the show, according to Defence Blog. Additionally, the company presented its MV-8 Komodo unmanned breaching system, combining autonomous mobility with drone defense capabilities.instagram

Broader Context

The announcements come as European defense spending accelerates amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine and growing pressure on NATO members to strengthen air and missile defense. Rheinmetall presented under the motto “Strong and Clear – Across all Domains,” emphasizing cross-domain integration spanning land, air, sea, and space. The exhibition, the world’s largest land and air-land defense show, runs through Friday.unmannedsystemstechnology