AREX defense

What AREX defense does

AREX defense (legal entity AREX d.o.o. Šentjernej) is a Slovenian defense manufacturer founded in 1994, headquartered in Šentjernej, Slovenia, operating with 51-100 employees as a subsidiary of the international RSBC Holding group. The company designs and manufactures a broad portfolio of defense products and precision components, including ammunition links, training ammunition, ballistic protection, firearms and components, assemblies for explosives, cold hammer-forged barrel and aviation components, protective textiles, and plastic injection-molded parts. Manufacturing is conducted under ISO 9001 and AQAP (NATO Allied Quality Assurance Publications) certifications, with state-of-the-art professional laboratories enabling aviation-level quality assurance.

The company's business model is primarily B2B contract and OEM manufacturing, with more than 70% of production supplied to third-party defense companies and OEM partners, and direct supply relationships with European NATO units and government defense agencies. It operates a full-cycle in-house value chain spanning pre-project planning, design, engineering, prototyping, documentation, verification, and production, reducing the need for its customers to qualify multiple suppliers. Distribution is carried out through direct enterprise sales to defense OEMs and government/military buyers, OEM/white-label supply relationships, and a small direct-to-consumer web store (arex-store.si) for select products. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. AREX is privately held with no public listing, no disclosed funding rounds, and no known M&A activity.

Name

AREX defense

Legal name

AREX d.o.o. Šentjernej

Website

https://arex.si

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

AREX defense is a Slovenian ISO and AQAP-certified defense manufacturer, founded in 1994 and part of RSBC Holding, producing ammunition links, training ammunition, ballistic protection, firearms and components, explosives assemblies, and aviation components for European NATO units and defense OEM partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense Manufacturing (Small Arms and Weapons Components)

NAICS

Small Arms, Ordnance, and Ordnance Accessories Manufacturing (332994), Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing (332992)

SIC

Ordnance & Accessories, (No Vehicles/Guided Missiles) (3480)

akta.pro primary industry

Ammunition Manufacturing (Small-, Medium- & Large-Caliber) (IMABAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ordnance Components & Subassemblies (Casings, Liners, Guidance Sections) (IMABAHAL), Explosives, Energetics & Pyrotechnics (Military-Grade) (IMABAHAK)

Keywords

• Defense manufacturing
• Small arms production
• Ballistic protection products
• Cold hammer forging
• Ammunition components

Headquarters

HQ city

Sentjernej

HQ country

Slovenia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Defense Product Manufacturing: Manufacturing of defense products for third-party defense sector companies and OEM partners. Products include links, training ammunition, ballistic protection, firearms and components, assemblies for explosives, and aviation components.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AREX defense designs, develops, and manufactures small arms (handguns, pistols, revolvers) and weapons components, ammunition links, ballistic protection products (body armor and protective textiles), and precision machined defense components including cold hammer forged barrels, avionics parts, plastic injection molded components, and assemblies for explosives. The company supplies military, law enforcement, and security sector customers globally.

Product overview

AREX defense operates as a defense manufacturing company offering a diverse portfolio of physical defense products and precision manufacturing services. The company produces ammunition links, training ammunition, ballistic protection equipment, firearms and components, assemblies for explosives, and protective textiles. Complementing these products are specialized manufacturing capabilities including cold hammer forging for military barrel production, precision machining for avionics/aerospace components, and plastic injection molding. The company operates as part of the RSBC Holding group and provides comprehensive services from pre-project through full production, with over 70% of output dedicated to third-party defense sector clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small arms and handguns (pistols and revolvers) AREX defense manufactures pistols, revolvers, and handguns designed for military, law enforcement, and security sector end-users. Products are sold under the AREX brand and supplied to armed forces and police forces through defense procurement contracts.
• Weapons components and assemblies for explosives AREX defense produces weapon components and assemblies for explosive applications intended for defense customers and OEMs integrating them into larger weapons systems.
• Ammunition links AREX defense manufactures ammunition links used to belt ammunition for military firearms, supplied to armed forces and defense OEMs.
• Ballistic protection products and protective textiles AREX defense produces ballistic protection products including body armor and protective textiles designed to shield military and law enforcement personnel from ballistic and fragmentation threats.
• Cold hammer forged barrels AREX defense manufactures cold hammer forged barrels for firearms, providing wear-resistant, high-precision barrel components for military and law enforcement weapons and OEM integration.
• Avionics-machined precision components AREX defense provides precision CNC-machined components for avionics applications, supplying defense and aerospace OEMs with high-tolerance machined parts.
• Plastic injection molded defense components AREX defense produces plastic injection molded components used in defense equipment and weapons systems, supplied to OEMs and defense customers.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RSBC HoldingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAREX is part of the international RSBC Holding group of companies, which enables them to offer a much larger portfolio together with sister companies and partners. This international network allows coverage of a wide range of defense manufacturing requirements including protective textiles, ammunition, firearms, explosives assemblies, barrel manufacturing, avionics machining, and plastic injection molding.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HS Produkt: Croatian striker-fired pistol manufacturer (Springfield XD/XDM platform) producing handguns for military, law enforcement, and civilian markets across Europe — directly comparable to AREX's handgun and firearms component business in Central/Southeastern Europe.
• Nammo: Nordic joint venture (Norway/Finland) producing small-, medium-, and large-caliber ammunition and rocket motors for NATO militaries — directly comparable to AREX's ammunition links and training ammunition product lines serving European NATO.
• SIG Sauer: US/German firearms manufacturer producing P320-series pistols adopted by multiple NATO militaries; comparable to AREX as a handgun OEM competing for European military and law enforcement handgun contracts.

Broad incumbents

• Glock: Austrian global market leader in striker-fired pistols serving military, law enforcement, and civilian markets; comparable to AREX as a European handgun OEM, though significantly larger in scale and brand recognition.
• Česká zbrojovka (CZ Group): Czech firearms and ammunition manufacturer producing handguns, rifles, and small-caliber ammunition for military, law enforcement, and civilian markets — directly overlapping with AREX's handgun and ammunition links product portfolio.
• FN Herstal: Belgian firearms and integrated weapons systems manufacturer serving NATO and global military customers with pistols, rifles, and machine guns — comparable European defense prime with overlapping handgun and military product lines.
• Heckler & Koch: German firearms manufacturer producing pistols, rifles, and machine guns primarily for military and law enforcement; comparable to AREX as a European NATO-aligned firearms OEM serving similar procurement agencies.
• Beretta: Italian global firearms manufacturer producing pistols and military/law enforcement weapons — comparable European OEM serving the same NATO and European defense procurement customers as AREX.
• RUAG Ammotec: Swiss defense manufacturer producing small-arms ammunition and pyrotechnic products for military and law enforcement — directly overlapping with AREX's ammunition and explosives assembly portfolio in European defense markets.
• Rheinmetall: German large-cap defense prime producing weapons, ammunition, and military vehicles across NATO — comparable as a European defense OEM but operating at vastly larger scale with broader portfolio than AREX.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCm21i7KugKNMlcN8_WmwDXA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/arexdefense
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arex-defense
• Instagraminstagram.com/arex_defense

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AREX defense