Rheinmetall AG has completed the acquisition of a 51% majority stake in Croatia-based DOK-ING, marking a strategic expansion of its portfolio in unmanned ground systems. The company will operate as Rheinmetall Unmanned Vehicles d.o.o., establishing a new competence centre focused on heavy autonomous vehicles.
The agreement, signed earlier this year in Zagreb, gives Rheinmetall a controlling stake, while DOK-ING’s founder, Vjekoslav Majetić, retains 49% ownership. The transaction’s financial terms have not been disclosed.
The partnership combines Rheinmetall’s expertise in tactical vehicle systems with DOK-ING’s established capabilities in unmanned platforms for hazardous, high-risk operations. The collaboration centers on DOK-ING’s Komodo platform, a modular heavy-duty hybrid system with a payload capacity exceeding 8.5 tonnes. Rheinmetall will integrate a range of functional modules and equipment kits, including systems for direct and indirect fire, mine clearing and laying operations, reconnaissance sensors, and logistics support.
“We can now establish our competence centre in Croatia in the field of unmanned and autonomous vehicles for military purposes. With this new setup, we aim to achieve a strong market position in the segment of unmanned combat and armoured support vehicles. We see growth potential in this future market, and, at the same time, we are establishing a foothold in Croatia, an EU and NATO partner country and a highly attractive customer market”, said Dr Björn Bernhard, CEO of Rheinmetall’s Vehicle Systems Europe division.
DOK-ING has built a strong global presence in land-based unmanned mine clearance and operations in high-risk environments, having delivered approximately 500 systems to customers in more than 40 countries. Its solutions are currently being deployed in active operational environments, including Ukraine.
Reflecting on the partnership, Vjekoslav Majetić stated: “This step ensures that DOK-ING’s development, engineering excellence and core competencies will remain in Croatia. By joining forces with Rheinmetall, we can expand our production capacities, accelerate the development of next-generation unmanned specialised systems and strengthen our long-term competitiveness. This will reinforce Croatia’s role within the European defence and technology landscape”.
Looking ahead, Rheinmetall and DOK-ING plan to jointly develop a range of unmanned solutions for combat and combat support operations. This includes an unmanned armed support system known as “Wingman,” designed to operate alongside battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles for reconnaissance and fire support missions. These systems are also intended to complement Rheinmetall’s existing platforms, including the Panther KF51 Main Battle Tank, the Büffel/Buffalo recovery vehicle, and the Kodiak armoured engineer vehicle.
The acquisition strengthens Rheinmetall’s position in the rapidly evolving market for autonomous military systems while reinforcing its long-term strategy to expand capabilities in advanced defence technologies.
