Diehl Defence

Diehl Defence GmbH & Co. KG is a German weapon manufacturer headquartered in Überlingen. It operates as a division of Diehl Stiftung and specializes in the production of missiles and ammunition.

Diehl Defence

Company type	GmbH
Headquarters	Germany
Products	Missiles, anti-aircraft defence systems, active protection systems, electronic countermeasures, precision-guided munitions, ammunition
Revenue	€1,142 million (2023)[1]
Number of employees	3,772 (2023)[1]
Parent	Diehl Stiftung & Co. KG

Diehl BGT Defence was established in 2004 through the merger of Bodenseewerke Gerätetechnik GmbH and Diehl Munitionssysteme GmbH & Co. KG. In February 2017, Diehl BGT Defence and Diehl Defence Holding were integrated into Diehl Defence.^[2]

In 1960, Bodenseewerke Gerätetechnik became the lead contractor for producing the American Sidewinder AIM-9B air-to-air missile in Europe.^[3]

Building on the knowledge gained from the Sidewinder's infrared homing technology, Diehl Defence developed the seeker system for the IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missile. Introduced in 2005, the IRIS-T has been adopted by 13 countries as of October 2022.^[4]

On 10 June 2025, India's Reliance Defence, a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure, announced a strategic cooperation agreement with Diehl Defence. The agreement, worth ₹10,000 crore (US$1.2 billion), for the local production of Vulcano 155 mm precision-guided artillery shell. The Vulcano offers longer range and higher precision than standard artillery shells with GPS and laser guidance. Reliance Defence will serve as the prime contractor, leading the manufacturing efforts, while Diehl Defence will supply the core technology and provide system-level expertise. The shells are to be produced at a new greenfield manufacturing facility in Watad Industrial Area of Ratnagiri, Maharashtra — a part of Dhirubhai Ambani Defence City.^[5][6]

Products

• AIM-9 Sidewinder
• AGM ARMIGER
• EUROSPIKE
• IRIS-T
• IRIS-T SL / IRIS-T SLS (in addition to MEADS)
• Dornier Viper
• Fliegerfaust 2 - Licensed development and production of the STINGER POST missile from the late 1980s onwards (from 2004 onwards in a joint venture with Raytheon). Diehl was originally project coordinator, with Dornier as general contractor and Bodenseewerk producing the guidance systems. Eventually Diehl absorbed the respective interests and responsibilities of those companies in the program.
• GMLRS
• HOPE/HOSBO
• IDAS (submarine-launched missile, planned for the new Type 212 submarine)
• Barracuda (coprecipitating torpedo)
• LFK NG
• PARS 3 LR
• Panzerfaust 3
• RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile
• RBS-15
• SMArt 155

Grenades

• DM51 Offensive-Defensive Hand Grenade^[7][8][9]
  • DM58 Practice Hand Grenade^[8][9]
• DM61 Defensive Hand Grenade^[8][9]
  • DM78 Practice Hand Grenade^[8][9]
• DM82 Hand Grenade Fuse^[8][9]
• MK7 Mod 0 Floating Smoke Pot^[10]
• 76mm IR/RP Smoke Grenade^[10]
• 76mm IR/RP Airburst Grenade^[10]
• 80/81mm IR/RP Smoke Grenade^[10]
• RASMO Rapid Smoke Hand Grenade^[10]

Gallery

• 
  IRIS-T
• 
  IRIS-T SL
• 
  PARS 3 LR
• 
  HOPE
• 
  HOSBO
• 
  LFK NG
• 
  RIM-116 RAM launcher onboard on S74 Nerz, a Gepard class fast attack craft of the German Navy
• 
  Model of IDAS at the ILA 2006
• 
  Splitterhandgranate DM51
• 
  FEANIX (Future Effector - Adaptable, Networked, Intelligent, Xpendable)