(pressebox) (Düsseldorf, 2013-03-04) Effective 1 January 2013, Dr Peter Hellmeister, 60, took charge of Rheinmetall AG's representation office in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. He succeeds Klaus Hennig, who will continue to serve Rheinmetall in an advisory capacity, primarily in support of Rheinmetall projects in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.

Dr Hellmeister's successor as managing director of PSM GmbH in Kassel is Dr Björn Bernhard, 38, who took charge on 1 January 2013.

Over the years, Rheinmetall has scored major successes in a number of fields in the Arab world and the Gulf region in particular. For example, the name Rheinmetall is closely associated in the region with armoured vehicles, naval systems, air defence, NBC reconnaissance, and facility management. In 2005 the Emirates placed an order with Rheinmetall for 32 Fuchs/Fox NBC armoured reconnaissance vehicles. Costing roughly €160 million, these vehicles have proven highly effective in service with the UAE armed forces.

Dr Hellmeister became managing director of PSM GmbH (the initials stand for "Projekt, System und Management") in 2002. The company serves as general contractor for the Bundeswehr's Puma infantry fighting vehicle procurement programme.

Dr Björn Bernhard, his successor as managing director of PSM GmbH, joined Rheinmetall in 2004 after completing his studies and subsequently working as a university research associate. After working as a systems engineer in propulsion technology at Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH in Kiel, in 2006 he switched to project management. Starting in 2008, he served as project manager for the entire Puma IFV project at PSM GmbH in Kassel.

About Rheinmetall AG: Headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, the Rheinmetall Group's Defence arm is one of the world's leading suppliers of military technology. It holds a 50% stake in PSM GmbH of Kassel.

Rheinmetall Defence's seven divisions - Vehicle Systems, Weapons and Ammunition, Air Defence, Propulsion Systems, Defence Electronics, Electro-Optics, and Simulation and Training - cover a comprehensive range of tactical and technical capabilities. With some 9,000 employees in Germany and around the world, Rheinmetall's globe-spanning Defence unit generated sales in fiscal 2012 of around €2.1 billion.