The German technology group Rheinmetall AG has become the majority owner of the Croatian company Dok-Ing, it was announced on Wednesday at a joint conference of the two companies in Zagreb, where Rheinmetall AG acquired 51 percent ownership in Dok-Ing, while the Croatian company retains 49 percent.
The purchase agreement was signed in the presence of Defense Minister Ivan Anušić, and both parties agreed that the value of the transaction remains confidential information. Dok-Ing Management Board member Davor Petek stated that Rheinmetall is taking over 51 percent of Dok-Ing as of today.
– Nothing changes regarding the management and administration of the company itself, and nothing changes for the employees, except for growth in the very near future. This growth will depend on what will be produced here – said Petek, who expects a drastic increase in production in the upcoming period. He announced that both capacities and the number of employees will increase in the future, and emphasized that there will be no relocation from Croatia or Zagreb, nor a reduction in production.
He sees cooperation with Rheinmetall as a joint connection of systems in which they have so far shown the best results, namely integrating unmanned systems with existing conventional forces, i.e., systems that Rheinmetall already produces for certain NATO member states.
The conference highlighted that through the partnership, Dok-Ing and Rheinmetall plan to develop a wide range of solutions for combat and combat support operations. This includes the project of an unmanned armed support system (known as “Wingman”) intended for operation alongside battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, for reconnaissance and fire support. These systems will also be used alongside existing Rheinmetall products, such as the main battle tank Panther KF51, the Büffel/Buffalo recovery vehicle, and the Kodiak armored engineering vehicle.
The development is based on Dok-Ing’s new heavy platform Komodo, with a payload capacity of over 8.5 tons. Rheinmetall provides advanced capability modules and equipment sets, including systems for direct and indirect fire, demining and mine laying, autonomous capabilities, and logistics, it was emphasized.
New products will be developed in the Republic of Croatia
Dok-Ing founder Vjekoslav Majetić stated that his company is forming a partnership with a large European company, which opens doors to the security of the entire world.
– We have proven with our technologies that we care about our citizens and their safety, said Majetić, adding that Dok-Ing has contributed to the demining of Croatia.
Björn Bernhard, CEO of the Vehicle Systems Europe division at Rheinmetall, emphasized that signing the contract with Dok-Ing is a significant and important moment for the company he represents. The contract was signed, he noted, after prolonged negotiations. He highlighted that in Dok-Ing, Rheinmetall found a good and reliable partner with whom they will share experiences and develop new products.
– The combination of Rheinmetall’s expertise in tactical vehicles and Dok-Ing’s capabilities in unmanned systems will create a strong market position with great potential for the future. At the same time, we are establishing a strong presence in Croatia, an EU member and NATO ally, and gaining access to this extremely interesting market. In Croatia, we will establish our competence center for unmanned and autonomous systems for military applications. Our goal is to take a leading market position in the segment of unmanned combat support and armored engineering military systems – said Bernhard.
Defense Minister Ivan Anušić believes that today’s signing of the contract between Dok-Ing and Rheinmetall is proof of the quality, strength, and strengthening of the Croatian defense industry – merging with larger and stronger industries that have much greater capacities.
He stated that Dok-Ing is specific and unique in the world for many of its products, also saying that with their robotic systems, Croatia has been completely demined.
– Dok-Ing has today outgrown what it has done so far and is joining forces with a strong global company and moving into new projects – emphasized Anušić, adding that the company’s new products with the new owner will be developed in the Republic of Croatia.
Otherwise, Dok-Ing has a strong market position in the field of unmanned solutions for demining and operations in dangerous and high-risk environments in both the civil and military sectors. Since its inception, the company has delivered around 500 platforms to customers in over 40 countries, and its unmanned demining solutions are extremely effective in Ukraine.
Rheinmetall AG is an integrated technology group based in Düsseldorf, operating since 1889, and today is a leading international system supplier for the defense industry, operating in the domains of land, air, sea, and space. With approximately 44,000 employees at around 180 locations worldwide, the company has been listed in the DAX 40 index since March 2023 and achieved a revenue of 9.8 billion euros in the 2024 business year.
