European Sovereignty Monitor

Defence and space

OHB and Rheinmetall register joint venture for Bundeswehr secure satcom

OHB and Rheinmetall registered their joint venture OHB Rheinmetall Space Networks GmbH in Bremen on 11 June, tasked with building and operating the Bundeswehr's SATCOMBw Level 4 secure satellite communications architecture end to end.

Verified Rheinmetall press release, 11 June 2026

What it does not test. Does not confirm the ownership split between OHB and Rheinmetall in the new company.

How this item counts. Towards autonomy: it changes who operates, who made the parts. Binding 2 of 3 (agreed or funded), scale 2 of 3 (medium), Verified counts in full: weight +8 of 36 possible. New German JV to build and operate new secure satcom tier; registered, not yet operating. European Sovereignty Index

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