Daimler Truck Launches Global Defence Brand, Targets €1 Billion Defence Revenue by 2028

Key Highlights

• Daimler Truck launches the new global brand "Daimler Truck Defence."

• The company targets €1 billion in defence revenue by 2028.

• Mid-three-digit million-euro investment planned over the coming years.

• Around 1,000 employees currently work in Daimler Truck's defence business.

• Expansion is expected to create new jobs, especially at Wörth am Rhein in Germany.

• Manufacturing supported by facilities in Germany and France.

• Global service network includes 5,000 locations in over 160 countries.

Defence is becoming a major growth area for Daimler Truck as the company announced a significant expansion of its global military business. To strengthen its position in the defence sector, the company has launched a new global brand, "Daimler Truck Defence," which will bring together all its defence activities under a single identity and support long-term international growth.

As part of this strategy, Daimler Truck plans to invest a mid-three-digit million-euro amount over the coming years to expand its engineering, manufacturing, sales, and service capabilities. The company aims to generate €1 billion in defence-related revenue by 2028 while providing governments worldwide with a broader range of military mobility and logistics solutions.

Daimler Truck Defence to Unite Global Operations

The newly established Daimler Truck Defence brand will create a unified global market presence and offer customers dedicated military expertise and mission-specific solutions from a single source.

Until now, Daimler Truck's defence business has mainly focused on Mercedes-Benz Trucks. Going forward, the company will gradually expand its military vehicle portfolio to include products from other Daimler Truck brands and vehicle platforms across global markets. This approach is expected to unlock synergies across brands, products, business units, and processes while giving customers access to a wider range of military vehicle solutions.

Major Investments Planned for Growth

Daimler Truck currently has around 1,000 employees working in its defence business. The expansion strategy is being led primarily from the company's Worth am Rhein facility in Germany and is expected to create additional demand for highly skilled specialists, positively impacting employment.

Karin Radstrom, CEO of Daimler Truck, said defence has become a key pillar of the company's growth strategy. She noted that Daimler Truck is making targeted investments in production facilities, new product development, and the expansion of its sales and service network while utilizing its global capabilities across brands and regions to significantly scale the defence business.

Dennis Kinzelmann, CEO of Daimler Truck Defence, highlighted the growing global demand for reliable military mobility solutions. He stated that the company's global manufacturing network, resilient supply chains, strong partnerships, and expanding product portfolio position it to deliver military vehicles quickly and at scale while maintaining high quality standards. He added that Daimler Truck aims to become one of the world's leading providers of military mobility solutions through its global technology and production network.

Expanding Manufacturing Capacity and Service Support

To support future growth, Daimler Truck will continue investing in engineering, manufacturing, sales, and after-sales support capabilities. These investments will help the company offer a broader product portfolio and execute military vehicle programs at significantly higher volumes.

Alongside customized military projects, Daimler Truck plans to increase its focus on fleet and sustainment programs, which benefit from larger production volumes and multiple vehicle variants.

The company's defence manufacturing activities in Europe are centered around its facilities in Worth am Rhein, Germany, and Molsheim, France. These plants combine high-volume commercial vehicle production with specialized defence expertise, allowing military variants to be integrated into existing production lines. Daimler Truck also provides local assembly options for militarized Mercedes-Benz trucks in customer countries.

The company is also strengthening its global service network. With approximately 5,000 service locations across more than 160 countries, supported by a comprehensive spare-parts supply chain, Daimler Truck aims to further improve parts availability and service responsiveness in key regions worldwide.

Defence Business Emerging as a Key Growth Driver

Daimler Truck considers defence one of its most important growth opportunities for the coming years. The company has already secured several major military contracts, including:

• A large order from the German Bundeswehr for military logistics vehicles in the three-digit unit range.

• A contract with the Canadian Armed Forces, in partnership with General Dynamics Land Systems, covering at least 1,500 logistics trucks.

• A framework agreement with the French Armed Forces, alongside Arquus, for 7,000 trucks based on the highly mobile Zetros platform.

These programs reflect Daimler Truck Defence's focus on strengthening European and transatlantic partnerships while leveraging its industrial production capabilities.

Broader Military Vehicle Portfolio Under Development

Daimler Truck is expanding its defence portfolio to meet the changing requirements of modern military operations. The future lineup will cover everything from light utility vehicles to heavy tactical logistics platforms designed for specific mission requirements.

By integrating additional Daimler Truck brands into the portfolio, military customers will gain access to locally available vehicle platforms that can be adapted for defence applications in their respective markets.

The company is also building a more comprehensive offering that goes beyond vehicle supply. This includes engineering services, manufacturing, system integration, strategic partner ecosystems, and long-term lifecycle support. Daimler Truck is increasingly focusing on modular vehicle architectures and jointly developed system solutions that allow faster and more flexible responses to customer needs.

From a technology perspective, the company is leveraging its commercial vehicle expertise while working with industry partners on innovations such as autonomous driving technologies and unmanned systems integration.

Daimler Truck to Showcase Defence Solutions at Eurosatory 2026

Daimler Truck Defence will present its latest military mobility solutions at Eurosatory 2026, taking place in Paris from June 15 to June 19, 2026.

At the exhibition, the company will display a range of Mercedes-Benz Unimog, Mercedes-Benz Zetros, and Mercedes-Benz Arocs vehicles equipped with various mission systems and specialist configurations developed in partnership with leading defence industry companies.
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CMV360 Says

Daimler Truck is strengthening its position in the global defence sector with the launch of Daimler Truck Defence and significant investments in manufacturing, engineering, and service capabilities. Backed by major military contracts and a growing international portfolio, the company aims to achieve €1 billion in defence revenue by 2028. Its expanded product range, global production network, and strong partnerships are expected to drive long-term growth and support rising military mobility demands worldwide.