Company news·10 Feb 2026
Company news
13 Feb 2026
An Interview with Dr. Mario Amschlinger on Mehler Systems’ Priorities for 2026
FULDA, GERMANY (13.02.2026)
One year after outlining a clear strategic direction for Mehler Systems, Dr. Mario Amschlinger sees the group firmly in an execution phase. The priorities defined in early 2025 remain unchanged: accelerating innovation, expanding internationally, strengthening internal production, and deepening collaboration across the group. The difference today is that these priorities have moved from intent to measurable reality.
“Mehler Systems operates today as the European leader in its business segment, having recently secured the largest international order intake in the group’s history. This reflects the growing share of business generated outside our traditional European home markets and solidifies the group’s strong operational and strategic position for 2026 and beyond,” says Dr. Amschlinger.
What increasingly defines the group is its ability to translate innovation into industrial execution. “Over the past year, we demonstrated that Mehler Systems can deliver very large and complex protection programmes with consistent quality and reliability,” he adds. “That capability is no longer aspirational. It is proven.”
Over more than four decades, Mehler Systems has developed into a vertically integrated group combining personal protection, carrying solutions, tactical clothing, and platform armour within a single ecosystem. Managing the entire value chain in-house, from analysis and design to testing, production, and delivery, has become a decisive advantage as programme sizes increase and delivery timelines tighten.
From Programme Delivery to Industrial Scale
A defining milestone of the past year was the flawless delivery of the MOBAST programme for the German Armed Forces. “Mehler Protection delivered more than 350,000 complete vest systems, including soft ballistic, hard ballistic, carriers, and components, week by week, without rejected deliveries,” says Dr. Amschlinger. “In our industry, this level of delivery performance is exceptional.”
At the same time, Mehler Protection demonstrated its ability to execute multiple demanding programmes in parallel. This includes equipping European NATO and police forces with advanced personal protection solutions, introducing new product platforms such as the HYVE vest system, and further strengthening its platform protection portfolio across land, sea, air, and critical infrastructure applications, including advances in counter-UAS (anti-drone) protection. “Together, these projects transformed Mehler Protection from a very strong specialist into a true industrial-scale organisation,” Dr. Amschlinger says.
Progress across the group extended well beyond ballistic protection.
UF PRO continued to expand its presence outside Europe and further strengthened its position in the United States. New generations of tactical clothing systems were introduced for different environments, including updates to the P-40, Delta, and Hunter product families. The brand also broadened its scope by entering the competitive shooting segment and engaging in projects beyond traditional defence and law-enforcement applications, including cooperation with conservation organisations.
Lindnerhof advanced its modular load carriage platforms and mission-specific configurations while strengthening its footprint in the United States. Close cooperation with special forces and law-enforcement units continues to translate operational feedback directly into product refinement and new carrying solutions, including a new modular backpack family.
At group level, these developments have created a stable operational and technological backbone. “This puts us in a position to move to the next level again — not to slow down, but to increase our speed and scale,” says Dr. Amschlinger.
Priorities for 2026
“Our priorities in 2026 are focused on strengthening the foundations that allow us to scale,” says Dr. Amschlinger. Operational excellence remains non-negotiable. Delivering in time, in cost, and in quality is the basis of everything Mehler Systems does. The group is strengthening its IT backbone, harmonising core processes across the group, and improving planning accuracy and supply-chain robustness.
Industrial and organisational capacity will continue to scale as well. Large and long-term programmes are becoming the norm, requiring robust production structures, qualified supplier networks, and sufficient leadership depth at both group and brand level.
Internationalisation remains a key priority. Expansion focuses on markets where Mehler Systems is already present but not yet operating at full potential. For Mehler Systems, internationalisation means building sustainable local capability, not only sales channels.
Across all priorities, integration is critical. Coordination between brands is being increased, processes are being harmonised, and group synergies are being leveraged more systematically.
“It is not about changing strategy,” says Dr. Amschlinger. “It is about strengthening execution at scale.”
Innovation Beyond Products
“For us, innovation is an end-to-end process that covers both how we develop solutions and how we bring them to market,” says Dr. Amschlinger.
Analysis, design, prototyping, development, testing, and industrialisation are managed within the group. Professional end users are closely involved throughout this chain, and solutions are validated through ballistic, environmental, thermo-manipulation, and durability testing under realistic operational conditions. This approach ensures that new concepts transition reliably into series production. At Mehler Systems, quality is not something added at the end of the process. It is designed into products and processes from the very beginning.
Innovation also means improving the way the organisation works. Reducing friction between development stages, strengthening cross-functional collaboration, and accelerating R&D processes allow more projects to be tackled in parallel without compromising quality.
“A principle shared across all our brands is that solutions are not developed for the user from a distance, but with the user,” says Dr. Amschlinger. “The best solution is often the one an operator barely notices because it removes friction and supports performance without demanding attention.”
This philosophy also shapes how Mehler Systems approaches technology adoption. New functions are introduced only when they are robust enough for real operational environments. Reliability comes first.
Investing in Capability and People
Investment priorities reflect this long-term perspective. Mehler Systems invests in innovation, product diversification, and operational capabilities, while strengthening its presence in regions and domains that matter strategically. Today, the group operates across multiple continents through a network of headquarters, development hubs, and production and sourcing sites in Europe, Asia, and the United States.
Alongside organic growth, selective inorganic steps are pursued when they strengthen technological depth, including Mehler Protection’s acquisition of SXP, which expands in-house competence in specialised ballistic materials.
In parallel, machinery is modernised, automation evaluated, and development capacities expanded. “The goal is always the same: become faster, more efficient, and more reliable, without compromising quality or increasing risk,” says Dr. Amschlinger.
Equally important is investment in people. Technical expertise, engineering capability, production know-how, and leadership development are essential for resilience and long-term performance.
A Clear Direction Ahead
“Geopolitical uncertainty will remain high,” says Dr. Amschlinger. Europe must be capable of equipping and sustaining its forces independently. This shifts the focus from individual products to industrial readiness.
“The ability to deliver at scale, to replenish quickly, and to adjust configurations as requirements change will be just as important as technical performance,” he says. As the largest European player in its segment, Mehler Systems sees a responsibility to contribute to this capability.
Looking further ahead, the direction is clear.
“Our ambition is to become the global leader in our segment.”
For Dr. Amschlinger, this means building on Mehler Systems’ position as European leader and deliberately developing it into a truly global benchmark. This includes strengthening the portfolio in adjacent product categories and continuing to grow primarily through innovation and capability, complemented by selective inorganic steps where they add clear value to the group.
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