A defense contractor that manufactures weapons, armored vehicles, and other military systems is setting up a new base in Merrifield.
Two U.S. subsidiaries of the German company Rheinmetall have leased nearly 10,000 square feet of office space at Metro Place II (2600 Park Tower Drive) in Merrifield, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) announced yesterday (Tuesday).
American Rheinmetall Defense, which functions as the company’s main U.S. hub, will occupy 3,486 square feet, relocating a facility that originally opened at 11180 Sunrise Valley Drive in Reston in 2019, according to head of marketing Danielle Callender.
Another 6,000 square feet has been leased on a separate floor of the office building for American Rheinmetall Munitions, the company’s specialized U.S. weapons and ammunitions division previously based in Stafford, says Savills, which helped broker the dual lease.
Located across Gallows Road from the Dunn Loring Metro station, the new D.C. region office will serve as the headquarters for the munitions division and provides more convenient access to the Department of Defense, Capitol Hill and other partners, according to press releases.
“The opening of our new DC region office spaces underscores our rapid growth and committed investment in Rheinmetall’s U.S. operations,” American Rheinmetall Defense CEO Stephen Hedger said. “This move reinforces our brand presence, brings us even closer to key government stakeholders, improves our access to a wonderful human resource talent pool in the region, and strengthens our ability to support U.S. defense strategy with speed, innovation, and an enduring commitment to being part of the fabric of the U.S. defense industrial base.”
Founded in 1889 by a metals and mining conglomerate, Rheinmetall opened its first factory that year in Düsseldorf, Germany, where its global headquarters are still located, and presented the world’s first barrel recoil canon deemed fit for field service in 1898, according to its online history.
It is now the largest defense company in Germany, reporting $10.5 billion in revenue so far in 2025, per Forbes.
Though Rheinmetall offers other products, such as curbside electric charging stations and hydrogen power storage systems, it primarily develops vehicles, weapons and other technology for military use, including tanks, armored trucks, long-range artillery and grenades.
Rheinmetall’s CEO was reportedly the target of a Russian assassination plot for supporting Ukraine in its efforts to beat back Russia’s invasion.
The company was also named as an arms supplier for Israel by in a June 2024 statement by United Nations experts, who argued that businesses providing weapons to Israel “risk being complicit in serious violations of international human rights and international humanitarian laws” committed during its war in Gaza.
West Falls Church-based Northrop Grumman and Arlington-based Boeing were also mentioned.
However, while Rheinmetall confirmed it does some work in Israel, it denies supplying any weapons to the country’s military.
“Israel has a strong defence industry of its own. Hence, we generate only very low sales in this country,” a Rheinmetall spokesperson told FFXnow. “Rheinmetall has not supplied any weapons of war to Israel.”
Though some federal contractors in Fairfax County have laid off staff or downsized their operations as the Trump administration slashes the federal workforce and spending, American Rheinmetall Defense hasn’t experienced any negative impacts as a result of “recent changes from the government,” Callendar said.
The company didn’t share the length of its leases in Merrifield or the number of employees expected to work at the new base, but the deals were described as “long term” in the FCEDA and Savills press releases.
Owned by COPT since 2015, the 10-story Metro Place II office building also counts the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and the engineering technology firm ENSCO among its tenants.
FCEDA President and CEO Victor Hoskins and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay both lauded Rheinmetall’s choice of an office in Merrifield as an endorsement of the county for its proximity to the federal government and supportive business environment.
“Our community is a place where groundbreaking innovation, national security, and global collaboration intersect, and this investment represents a powerful statement about the future of defense and technology in our region,” McKay said.
“This investment strengthens not only our local economy but also the broader national security alliances,” Hoskins added. “We look forward to supporting Rheinmetall as they continue to grow and build enduring partnerships in the Washington, D.C., region.”
