Rheinmetall: Drone warfare exposes limits of Western air defence systems

The head of German defence giant Rheinmetall has warned that air defence stockpiles across Europe, the United States and the Middle East are “nearly empty” as the conflict with Iran continues to intensify.

CEO Armin Papperger spoke to the American business news outlet CNBC, stating that the sustained exchange of missiles and drones has rapidly drained aerial defence resources on all sides. He stressed that countries involved in the conflict have learned it is “very hard” to defend against drones using missiles alone.

Iran’s widespread use of low-cost, mass-produced attack drones has placed a significant strain on Western air defence systems. In response, Ukrainian specialists have already been deployed to Gulf states and across the wider Middle East to share their experience in countering such threats, as announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week.

“You need a mixture of missiles and gun-based systems and maybe also interceptors,” Papperger explained.

He added that stockpiles are now “empty, or nearly empty,” warning that if the fighting continues for another month, there will be “nearly no missiles available.”

While Papperger described attack drones as only “a small game changer,” he emphasized the importance of layered defence systems combining different types of weaponry. At the same time, he acknowledged that one of the clearest “lessons learned” from the war in Ukraine is that drones have become the “new effector” in modern warfare.

He pointed to their affordability as a key advantage, noting that drones come at “a very, very low price,” meaning they cost “nothing in comparison to that what you have to fight against.”

“The Ukrainians are very effective with that,” Papperger said, adding: “they are very effective because the Russians at the moment do not have a good anti-drone strategy.”

Earlier in March, reports suggested that the United States and its Gulf allies were considering purchasing Ukrainian-made drone interceptors as a cheaper alternative to expensive missile systems used to counter Iran’s Shahed-type UAVs. However, Donald Trump later dismissed the idea publicly, saying the US does not require Ukraine’s assistance in this area.

Despite that, Ukrainian interceptor units have been deployed across the region to help protect civilian and critical infrastructure, according to Rustem Umerov, who recently led a delegation to the Middle East.

Papperger has issued similar warnings in recent weeks about Europe’s broader ammunition shortages, cautioning that existing stockpiles could be exhausted within days in the event of a major conflict. He also highlighted surging demand for armored vehicles and the growing need to protect troops against drones and missile threats.

Rheinmetall’s order backlog is now approaching €70 billion and could double within a year, with major deliveries scheduled for 2029–2030, Papperger said.

By Nazrin Sadigova