Aurelius To Turn VW Plant Into Defense Site With Rafael As Customer

Investment firm Aurelius and the state of Lower Saxony have signed a preliminary agreement to acquire Volkswagen's Osnabrück plant and convert it to defence production after carmaking ends in 2027. Rafael is expected to serve as an anchor customer, with possible work connected to air- and missile-defence systems such as Iron Dome interceptors. The plan could preserve about 1,400 of roughly 1,800 jobs and reuse an established industrial site. The transaction still requires final approval and detailed contracts, so product scope, capital spending, output volumes and production timing are not yet fixed.