Fire at Rheinmetall construction site. Police suspect arson
Three construction vehicles have been destroyed by fire at the site of Rheinmetall’s planned logistics centre and drone testing facility in Calden, central Germany. Police suspect arson and are investigating whether the fire was politically motivated.
The incident occurred overnight from Thursday to Friday at Rheinmetall’s construction site in Calden, near Kassel Airport. According to German news agency dpa, emergency services received a report of the fire at around 3:15 a.m. on Friday. The flames engulfed three construction vehicles, while machinery parked nearby was also damaged.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control, and police secured the scene. Given the suspicion of arson and the possibility of a political motive, the investigation has been taken over by the relevant police authorities.
The fire broke out at the site where Rheinmetall is building a new logistics centre and a development and testing facility for unmanned systems. The project was announced by the company and the state government of Hesse in August. Its value exceeds EUR 260 million.
The facility in Calden is set to become one of Rheinmetall’s largest infrastructure projects in Germany. The logistics centre will handle domestic and international orders, while the drone facility will focus on the development and testing of advanced unmanned systems. The project is scheduled for completion, with operations expected to begin by the end of 2027.
The fire in Calden comes amid a series of incidents and suspected sabotage attempts in Germany. In September, two explosive devices were thrown from a moving vehicle onto a construction site in Munich adjacent to the headquarters of defence companies Rohde & Schwarz and Helsing, a drone manufacturer. One device was quickly extinguished, while the other was neutralised.
In a separate incident in late July, a drone factory operated by Poland’s WB Group in Skarżysko-Kamienna was set on fire. Polish authorities launched an investigation on suspicion of terrorism and possible involvement by a foreign intelligence service. According to prosecutors, the fire was deliberately started.
Another serious incident was reported in early August at Leipzig Airport. A drone equipped with a detonator and explosives was found on the airport apron near a Ukrainian An-124 transport aircraft. The unmanned aerial vehicle did not explode, but its discovery led to a temporary suspension of flight operations.
In early September, German authorities accused Russia of carrying out an attack involving a drone. Moscow rejected the allegations. There is currently no information about who was responsible for the fire involving the vehicles at Rheinmetall’s construction site in Hesse. Police have not ruled out a political motive.
