Armin Papperger, the CEO of German defense firm Rheinmetall, has addressed the backlash stemming from his recent comments regarding drone development in Ukraine. In an interview with the German broadcaster ntv on April 22, Papperger stated that his remarks had been misrepresented and taken out of context.
The controversy originated from a March 27 article in The Atlantic, which quoted Papperger suggesting that drone manufacturing in Ukraine was not innovative and was primarily being conducted by “Ukrainian housewives” using home 3D printers. This characterization sparked significant criticism.
Papperger clarified that his statements were misinterpreted and presented without proper verification. He emphasized that he made three distinct points: Rheinmetall does not manufacture quadcopters and has no plans to do so; the company’s drones are assembled using a “Click and Play” concept similar to Lego; and that Ukrainian families are collaborating to support these efforts.
“We had three theses. These were: Rheinmetall does not make quadcopters and will not make them in the future. Our drones are assembled based on a Click and Play principle, like Lego. And: Ukrainian families are helping each other. This was all connected in a completely different way,” he explained.
Papperger also mentioned that he had communicated with several Ukrainian politicians who, after his clarifications, acknowledged that the initial interpretation of his comments was “completely incorrect.”
Rheinmetall has expressed its high regard for the level of Ukrainian technological advancements and has praised the country’s innovations. This comes in the wake of the earlier controversy, where Papperger likened the drone production process to a “Lego game.” Additionally, Rheinmetall has released footage of its new strike drone, the FV-014, which is designed to engage targets at distances of up to 100 kilometers.
Rheinmetall's CEO, Armin Papperger, has clarified his remarks about Ukrainian drone development, stating they were misrepresented. He emphasized the collaborative efforts of Ukrainian families and the company's stance on drone manufacturing.
Source: The Atlantic