ZAGREB, 4 March (Hina) – German technology group Rheinmetall AG has become the majority owner of the Croatian company Dok-Ing, it was announced on Wednesday at a joint press conference in Zagreb, with Rheinmetall acquiring a 51% stake, while Dok-Ing retains 49%.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Defence Minister Ivan Anušić, with both parties agreeing that the value of the transaction will remain confidential.
Management and staff will remain unchanged, and operations will stay in Croatia, said Dok-Ing board member Davor Petek, announcing significant growth in production, capacity and employment.
He sees the cooperation with Rheinmetall as a joint integration of systems in which both companies have achieved their strongest results, linking unmanned platforms with existing conventional forces, namely the systems Rheinmetall already manufactures for certain NATO member states.
The companies plan to develop a broad range of solutions for combat and combat-support missions, including an unmanned armed support system known as “Wingman”, designed to operate alongside main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles for reconnaissance and fire support. The systems will also complement Rheinmetall products such as the Panther KF51 main battle tank, the Büffel/Buffalo armoured recovery vehicle and the Kodiak armoured engineering vehicle.
Development will be based on Dok-Ing’s new heavy Komodo platform, with a payload capacity exceeding 8.5 tonnes. Rheinmetall will provide advanced capability modules, including direct and indirect fire systems, mine-clearing and mine-laying equipment, autonomous functions and logistics solutions.
New products to be made in Croatian territory
Dok-Ing founder Vjekoslav Majetić said the partnership with a major European company opened the door to strengthening global security, noting the firm’s contribution to Croatia’s demining efforts.
Bjorn Bernhard, head of Rheinmetall’s Vehicle Systems Europe division, described the agreement as a major milestone following lengthy negotiations.
He said the combination of Rheinmetall’s expertise in tactical vehicles and Dok-Ing’s capabilities in unmanned systems would create a strong market position. Rheinmetall also plans to establish a Croatian competence centre for unmanned and autonomous military systems.
Defence Minister Anušić said the deal demonstrated the strength and progress of Croatia’s defence industry.
He said that Dok-Ing was unique in the world for many of its products, adding that Croatia had been fully cleared of mines using the company’s robotic systems.
“Dok-Ing has outgrown what it was doing until now. It is joining forces with a major global company and moving into new projects,” stressed Ivan AnuЕЎiД‡, adding that the company’s new products under its new owner will be manufactured in Croatia.
Dok-Ing has delivered around 500 platforms to customers in more than 40 countries and is well known for its unmanned demining systems, which are widely used in Ukraine.
Headquartered in Düsseldorf , Rheinmetall was founded in 1889 and is now a leading international defence systems supplier operating across land, air, sea and space domains. The company employs around 44,000 people at some 180 locations worldwide and has been listed on Germany’s DAX 40 index since March 2023. In the 2024 financial year, it generated revenue of €9.8 billion.
