Rheinmetall Italy starts full-rate production of HERO loitering munitions for Europe
{loadposition bannertop}
{loadposition sidebarpub}
Rheinmetall says series production of UVision’s HERO loitering munitions is now running at full speed across two RWM Italia plants in Sardinia, with assembly and electronics in Musei and warhead manufacture and integration in Domusnovas. The ramp supports a European order backlog above 200 million euros and folds into Rheinmetall’s wider uncrewed and counter-UAS portfolio, marketed as a sensor to effector ecosystem.
On 8 October 2025, Rheinmetall announced that series production of UVision’s HERO loitering munitions is now running at full speed in Sardinia, a shift designed to satisfy rising European demand for attritable precision-strike capabilities as reported by Rheinmetall. The industrial setup spans two RWM Italia sites, Musei for assembly and electronics and Domusnovas for warhead manufacture and integration, consolidating a European production base for both offensive UAS and counter-UAS portfolios. This acceleration follows several years in which drones and loitering munitions have become central to modern warfare and to European rearmament agendas. Beyond production, the move ties into Rheinmetall’s broader ecosystem in UAS and cUAS, positioning the group as a supplier of complete “sensor-to-effector” chains for land forces.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
With HERO 30 providing tactical immediacy for infantry, HERO 120 delivering anti-armor precision at brigade level, and HERO 400 offering longer-range, higher-yield effects for fortified targets, European land forces gain a coherent, scalable ladder of precision strikes. When paired with Rheinmetall’s cUAS and SHORAD offers, armies can both project and protect, compressing the kill chain while complicating an adversary’s ability to exploit the air domain at low altitude (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)
Rheinmetall’s current HERO lineup produced in Italy covers complementary mission sets. HERO 30 is a lightweight, man-portable munition intended for dismounted units that need a rapid, precise, and low-collateral strike option. HERO 120 scales up range and lethality for precision effects against armored vehicles or hardened points, while HERO 400 pushes into medium/long-range engagements against fortified positions and high-value targets. The common design logic, man-in-the-loop control, ISR from the seeker, and abort/reattack capability, reduces collateral risk and allows commanders to time and shape effects more deliberately than with traditional artillery. This tiered family lets land forces tailor weight of effort and logistics footprint: a platoon can carry HERO 30 canisters organically, while mechanized or fires units field HERO 120/400 from vehicle or containerized launchers to create layered strike options without committing crewed aviation.
The Italian production line is explicitly structured to shorten lead times and localize sensitive steps. At Musei, inert and electronic components are assembled and tested, enabling throughput and quality control at scale; at Domusnovas, Rheinmetall manufactures and integrates warheads under one roof, a configuration that eases certification and streamlines final acceptance for export customers. With series production declared, the company cites an order backlog exceeding €200 million for multiple HERO variants destined for eight NATO and non-NATO European countries, evidence that loitering munitions have moved from trials to mainstream programs. Independent trade sources in Europe have corroborated the expansion and its focus on Sardinia, underscoring that capacity growth is the immediate objective.
Advantages over substitute effects are clearest when comparing the HERO family to tube artillery, guided rockets, or crewed CAS. First, man-in-the-loop terminal control, ISR from the munition, and the ability to wave off late in the kill chain give commanders more options in urban or mixed-presence environments where collateral management drives rules of engagement. Second, the logistics footprint and unit costs of expendable, electric-propelled air vehicles fit the “many and modular” approach Europe is adopting for counter-battery and time-sensitive targets. Third, because Rheinmetall also fields cUAS like Skyranger 35 and high-energy laser effector options, armies can buy both sides of the duel from one integrator, simplifying architecture and sustainment. For operators, that means a tighter sensor-to-shooter loop from detection to defeat, whether the mission is to negate hostile drones or strike their launch crews.
Strategically, Sardinia gives Europe a resilient production anchor for guided loitering effects that are now battle-proven in high-intensity conflicts. Geopolitically, it reduces exposure to extra-regional supply shocks while enabling faster replenishment in a protracted competition where stockpile depth matters. Geostrategically, shorter European supply lines and multiple assembly nodes complicate adversary targeting of single-point-of-failure factories. Militarily, fielding HERO 30/120/400 at scale lets brigade and division commanders distribute precision effects across echelons, complementing GMLRS or cruise-missile fires with cheaper, attritable assets. Rheinmetall’s parallel UAS work, exemplified by the LUNA NG reconnaissance drone and 2024 UAS sales around €120 million, feeds this shift, while partnerships with Anduril and Lockheed Martin broaden options for attritable strike and autonomous systems tailored to NATO C2.
Budget signals are unambiguous even if unit prices remain undisclosed. The more than €200 million European backlog for HERO series munitions indicates multi-country commitments already under contract, with deliveries planned across the region. On the global market, the most recent publicly announced award in this segment is a multi-year IDIQ contract for HERO 120 to the U.S. Army revealed in early October 2025, underscoring the family’s scale and munitions-grade acceptance by a tier-one customer; earlier European orders included a first NATO special-forces package in 2022 and an additional undisclosed European customer for HERO 120 in 2023. Together, these data points contextualize Rheinmetall’s production ramp as demand-driven rather than speculative capacity.
The industrial choice to concentrate assembly, testing, and warhead integration in Sardinia is therefore more than a factory story; it is a deliberate move to industrialize a maturing capability set that sits at the intersection of artillery, ISR, and airpower. With HERO 30 providing tactical immediacy for infantry, HERO 120 delivering anti-armor precision at brigade level, and HERO 400 offering longer-range, higher-yield effects for fortified targets, European land forces gain a coherent, scalable ladder of precision strikes. When paired with Rheinmetall’s cUAS and SHORAD offers, armies can both project and protect, compressing the kill chain while complicating an adversary’s ability to exploit the air domain at low altitude. As Sardinia’s lines spool up, the message to European planners is clear: precision loitering effects are moving from boutique buys to standardized inventory, and Europe now has a home-grown industrial pathway to keep pace.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
{loadposition bannertop}
{loadposition sidebarpub}
Rheinmetall says series production of UVision’s HERO loitering munitions is now running at full speed across two RWM Italia plants in Sardinia, with assembly and electronics in Musei and warhead manufacture and integration in Domusnovas. The ramp supports a European order backlog above 200 million euros and folds into Rheinmetall’s wider uncrewed and counter-UAS portfolio, marketed as a sensor to effector ecosystem.
On 8 October 2025, Rheinmetall announced that series production of UVision’s HERO loitering munitions is now running at full speed in Sardinia, a shift designed to satisfy rising European demand for attritable precision-strike capabilities as reported by Rheinmetall. The industrial setup spans two RWM Italia sites, Musei for assembly and electronics and Domusnovas for warhead manufacture and integration, consolidating a European production base for both offensive UAS and counter-UAS portfolios. This acceleration follows several years in which drones and loitering munitions have become central to modern warfare and to European rearmament agendas. Beyond production, the move ties into Rheinmetall’s broader ecosystem in UAS and cUAS, positioning the group as a supplier of complete “sensor-to-effector” chains for land forces.
With HERO 30 providing tactical immediacy for infantry, HERO 120 delivering anti-armor precision at brigade level, and HERO 400 offering longer-range, higher-yield effects for fortified targets, European land forces gain a coherent, scalable ladder of precision strikes. When paired with Rheinmetall’s cUAS and SHORAD offers, armies can both project and protect, compressing the kill chain while complicating an adversary’s ability to exploit the air domain at low altitude (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)
Rheinmetall’s current HERO lineup produced in Italy covers complementary mission sets. HERO 30 is a lightweight, man-portable munition intended for dismounted units that need a rapid, precise, and low-collateral strike option. HERO 120 scales up range and lethality for precision effects against armored vehicles or hardened points, while HERO 400 pushes into medium/long-range engagements against fortified positions and high-value targets. The common design logic, man-in-the-loop control, ISR from the seeker, and abort/reattack capability, reduces collateral risk and allows commanders to time and shape effects more deliberately than with traditional artillery. This tiered family lets land forces tailor weight of effort and logistics footprint: a platoon can carry HERO 30 canisters organically, while mechanized or fires units field HERO 120/400 from vehicle or containerized launchers to create layered strike options without committing crewed aviation.
The Italian production line is explicitly structured to shorten lead times and localize sensitive steps. At Musei, inert and electronic components are assembled and tested, enabling throughput and quality control at scale; at Domusnovas, Rheinmetall manufactures and integrates warheads under one roof, a configuration that eases certification and streamlines final acceptance for export customers. With series production declared, the company cites an order backlog exceeding €200 million for multiple HERO variants destined for eight NATO and non-NATO European countries, evidence that loitering munitions have moved from trials to mainstream programs. Independent trade sources in Europe have corroborated the expansion and its focus on Sardinia, underscoring that capacity growth is the immediate objective.
Advantages over substitute effects are clearest when comparing the HERO family to tube artillery, guided rockets, or crewed CAS. First, man-in-the-loop terminal control, ISR from the munition, and the ability to wave off late in the kill chain give commanders more options in urban or mixed-presence environments where collateral management drives rules of engagement. Second, the logistics footprint and unit costs of expendable, electric-propelled air vehicles fit the “many and modular” approach Europe is adopting for counter-battery and time-sensitive targets. Third, because Rheinmetall also fields cUAS like Skyranger 35 and high-energy laser effector options, armies can buy both sides of the duel from one integrator, simplifying architecture and sustainment. For operators, that means a tighter sensor-to-shooter loop from detection to defeat, whether the mission is to negate hostile drones or strike their launch crews.
Strategically, Sardinia gives Europe a resilient production anchor for guided loitering effects that are now battle-proven in high-intensity conflicts. Geopolitically, it reduces exposure to extra-regional supply shocks while enabling faster replenishment in a protracted competition where stockpile depth matters. Geostrategically, shorter European supply lines and multiple assembly nodes complicate adversary targeting of single-point-of-failure factories. Militarily, fielding HERO 30/120/400 at scale lets brigade and division commanders distribute precision effects across echelons, complementing GMLRS or cruise-missile fires with cheaper, attritable assets. Rheinmetall’s parallel UAS work, exemplified by the LUNA NG reconnaissance drone and 2024 UAS sales around €120 million, feeds this shift, while partnerships with Anduril and Lockheed Martin broaden options for attritable strike and autonomous systems tailored to NATO C2.
Budget signals are unambiguous even if unit prices remain undisclosed. The more than €200 million European backlog for HERO series munitions indicates multi-country commitments already under contract, with deliveries planned across the region. On the global market, the most recent publicly announced award in this segment is a multi-year IDIQ contract for HERO 120 to the U.S. Army revealed in early October 2025, underscoring the family’s scale and munitions-grade acceptance by a tier-one customer; earlier European orders included a first NATO special-forces package in 2022 and an additional undisclosed European customer for HERO 120 in 2023. Together, these data points contextualize Rheinmetall’s production ramp as demand-driven rather than speculative capacity.
The industrial choice to concentrate assembly, testing, and warhead integration in Sardinia is therefore more than a factory story; it is a deliberate move to industrialize a maturing capability set that sits at the intersection of artillery, ISR, and airpower. With HERO 30 providing tactical immediacy for infantry, HERO 120 delivering anti-armor precision at brigade level, and HERO 400 offering longer-range, higher-yield effects for fortified targets, European land forces gain a coherent, scalable ladder of precision strikes. When paired with Rheinmetall’s cUAS and SHORAD offers, armies can both project and protect, compressing the kill chain while complicating an adversary’s ability to exploit the air domain at low altitude. As Sardinia’s lines spool up, the message to European planners is clear: precision loitering effects are moving from boutique buys to standardized inventory, and Europe now has a home-grown industrial pathway to keep pace.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
