Rheinmetall and Rohde und Schwarz to digitize the Bundeswehr.

RRS-MITCOS is the short form for a new joint venture which Rheinmetall and Rohde & Schwarz have set up to meet the German military’s requirement for integrated operational and communications systems. First and foremost, Rheinmetall and Rohde & Schwarz want to play a leading role in digitizing Germany’s ground forces. This major programme encompasses an investment volume of several billion euros.

Dingo 2 of a PsyOps unit of the Bundeswehr at a rehearsal near Brussels before taking part to the Belgian National Day Parade 2018 (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Officially named “RRS-MITCOS Rheinmetall - Rohde & Schwarz - Military IT and Communications Solutions GmbH”, the company has now commenced operations in Berlin following completion of the approval process of the European and national competition authorities and entry into the commercial register. RRS-MITCOS is led by Peter Obermark (the company’s spokesman) and Udo Stoll.

Back in March 2017, Rheinmetall and Rohde & Schwarz embarked on a wide-ranging partnership that led to the creation of this joint venture. Rheinmetall holds a 74.9% stake in the new company, with the remaining 25.1% belonging to Rohde & Schwarz. The two parent companies intend to use RRS-MITCOS to bid for the Bundeswehr’s “Digitization of Land-based Operations” (D-LBO) programme, which supersedes two previous projects, the “Mobile taktische Kommunikation (MoTaKo)” and “Mobiler taktischer Informations-verbund (MoTIV)”. The joint venture is open to incorporating the expertise and solutions of additional partners, which are to be included in subsequent project phases.

D-LBO is the Bundeswehr’s premier modernization project, which will result in the future digital command system of the German Army. In the Bundeswehr’s inventory alone, thousands of vehicles are due to be retrofitted with new technology in the medium term.