Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. Office in Berlin

An annual income of 1.75 billion US dollars on arms sales alone (2016),1 makes Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), who is specialized in highly protected wheeled and tracked vehicles,2 one of the biggest armament producers in Germany. The company operates not exclusively in Germany, but also has subsidiaries in Brazil, Mexico, and the USA.3 Although originally founded as a locomotive company in 1882, KMW started developing its first military products during the 1930s during the rise of National Socialism.4 After Second World War the company produced civilian vehicles, but following the rearmament in the 1960s the company started specializing in production of turret systems for the battles tanks Leopard 1 and 2 MBT as well as for artillery and reconnaissance systems.5
 
Together with Rheinmetall, KMW is one of the principle suppliers of the German Armed Forces, who has utilized their Dingo armored vehicle in the ongoing Afghan war. The company does not sell exclusively armaments to the German Armed Forces, but is also exporting to Chile, Turkey, and Greece.6 In 2017, the company was convicted and fined by the Munich court for having bribed Greek officials to secure weapons deals.7 Furthermore, KMW has between 2015-2017 been exporting the Leopard 2 battle tank to Qatar, which has been put into direct action in the Yemen war.8
 
Address: Pariser Platz 6a, 10117 Berlin

1 Sipri.com Fact Sheet "Arms Industry 2017" (last access: 04.03.2019)
2 https://www.kmweg.com (last access: 04.03.2019)
3 https://www.kmweg.de (last access: 25.02.2019)
4 https://www.kmweg.com (last access: 04.03.2019)
5 https://www.kmweg.de (last access: 25.02.2019)
6 http://www.waffenexporte.org/ (last access: 04.03.2019)
7 http://www.aufschrei-waffenhandel.de (last access: 05.03.2019)
8 urgewald - Brochure "Briefing Jemen" (last access: 05.03.2019)