Diehl opens new 155mm production – in cooperation with Nammo
Diehl Metall and Diehl Defence inaugurate new production line for 155mm artillery shell bodies in Röthenbach
Röthenbach a.d. Pegnitz, November 10, 2026
Diehl Metall and Diehl Defence today jointly inaugurated a new production line for the cases of the DiNa 155mm artillery projectile at the Röthenbach a.d. Pegnitz location. The facility was established in close cooperation with the Norwegian company Nammo AS. The inauguration was attended by Bavarian Minister-President Dr. Markus Söder, together with representatives of the state ministries, the Norwegian and German ministries of defence, industry, the Bundeswehr and close cooperation partners.
For the project, which launched in June 2024, an existing production hall was converted on a brownfield basis across some 7,000 square meters. This enabled pilot-series production to begin in October 2026. The volume of investment lies in the mid double-digit millions of euros. The newly installed production infrastructure encompasses forming, welding, machining, surface treatment and testing technology. The heart of the facility comprises two new forging presses.
Partners combine their strengths along the entire process chain
In this project, Diehl Metall and Diehl Defence are pooling their manufacturing, technology and systems expertise. Diehl Metall produces the shell bodies for the DiNa round along the entire value chain, contributing its expertise in forging, materials technology and industrial series production. Diehl Defence defines the requirements for quality, functionality and system integration, and integrates the cases into downstream ammunition production. Modern traceability systems ensure complete quality documentation across the entire process chain.
Nammo, which had developed the DiNa round complets the cooperation through technology transfer and production know-how. The joint venture ARGE DiNa 155mm (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Diehl-Nammo) is a trusting cooperation between Diehl and Nammo and has been in place since 2019 with the focus the German market.
Helmut Rauch, CEO of Diehl Defence: “This project thrives on the collaboration between our companies. Diehl Metall, Diehl Defence and Nammo each contribute their respective strengths and share responsibility for delivery. What counts is the coordinated interaction of all partners – across the entire process chain.”
The starting point for establishing the production line was an order placed in 2024 – the largest ever awarded in the field of artillery ammunition in the history of Diehl Defence. Existing framework agreements enable Germany and other partner nations to call off DiNa 155mm rounds as well as components for a complete ammunition round load.
Morten Brandtzæg, President & CEO, Nammo AS: «Delivering the defense capabilities needed across Europe requires a strong defense industrial base and close cooperation across industry. We are proud to support this project and our partnership with Diehl, contributing to increased production capacity and supply security for our customers and allied nations».
New production creates career prospects for employees in Röthenbach
The new facility opens up a professional future at the location for the majority of employees previously working in synchronizer-ring production. They are being qualified for their new roles and supplemented by additional skilled personnel. At the same time, existing production capacities continue to be used.
Dr. Alexander Diehl, CEO of Diehl Metal Forgings (Diehl Metall): “We shape industrial change by building on our strengths while forging new paths. The knowledge and experience of our employees provide the foundation for this. With this project we are opening a new chapter for the Röthenbach location and creating prospects for its continued development.”
Additional capacity strengthens European supply security
By pooling manufacturing, technology and systems expertise within the Diehl Group, additional capacity is being created for defence-relevant products in Germany. The production line strengthens the industrial base of the European defence industry and contributes to the supply security of the Bundeswehr and of allied NATO nations.
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Diehl Metall Stiftung & Co. KG
Michael Nitz
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About Nammo
Nammo is an international aerospace and defense company headquartered in Raufoss, Norway. With more than 5,000 employees, 27 production sites and a presence in 12 countries, Nammo is one of the world’s leading providers of specialty ammunition, shoulder-fired weapons and rocket motors.
Backed by decades of proven expertise in energetics, propulsion, and advanced manufacturing, Nammo delivers combat-proven, mission-critical capabilities to military and commercial customers worldwide. Through continuous innovation and responsible production, Nammo supports the modernization and readiness of allied defense forces across air, land and sea domains.
For more information, visit nammo.com
About Diehl Metall
Diehl Metall is a subdivision of the Diehl Group, founded in 1902 (revenue: around €5.4 billion; 19,449 employees in 2025), and is headquartered in Röthenbach a.d. Pegnitz near Nuremberg. The company offers a broad spectrum of forward-looking products and technologies in metal processing. Within a global production network with sites in Europe, Asia, South America and the United States, the technology company develops application-oriented solutions for international customers. Diehl Metall takes responsibility for climate protection and resource conservation, placing particular emphasis on recyclable alloys and composite materials. To this end it relies on technically optimised production processes and aligns its innovation activities with the trends of the future.
About Diehl Defence
As a reliable partner of the German and international armed forces, Diehl Defence is a leading system house for air defence systems. In addition to systems for ground-based air defence, the product portfolio of the company headquartered in Überlingen (Germany) includes guided missiles for all branches of the armed forces, ammunition for army, air force and navy as well as protection systems. In addition, Diehl Defence develops and produces key components such as infrared modules, fuzes and special batteries. Diehl Defence currently employs around 6,000 people generating annual sales of over 2.5 billion euros.