BERLIN, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Rheinmetall aims

for 20 billion euros ($21.08 billion) in sales for 2027, boosted

by increased defence spending by EU and NATO country leaders in

response to the Ukraine war, the German defence group said in a

Capital Markets Day presentation.

There is also potential for an 18% operating margin for

2027, said the company on Tuesday, singling out increased market

potential by its entry in the United States and a joint venture

with Italian defence giant Leonardo.

Shares in Rheinmetall were up 1.75% at 0941 GMT following

the publication of the slides.

Rheinmetall expects to reach the threshold of about 10

billion euros in annual sales for the first time in 2024 after

sales rose 36% from January to September to 6.3 billion euros.

Rheinmetall, Europe's biggest ammunition producer, signed a

deal last month with Leonardo that it said increased market

potential tenfold, while in the U.S., the acquisition of Loc

Performance, expected to close next month, is part of ambitions

to quadruple sales in that market over the coming years.

($1 = 0.9487 euros)