Kleiner Einsatzgruppen Waffenfabrik

Kleiner Einsatzgruppen Waffenfabrik

Company type	State-owned company
Industry	Arms manufacturing
Predecessor	Einsatzgruppen Waffen und Munitionswerk
Founded	1984
Founder	Gustavo Kleiner
Defunct	30 November 2024
Fate	Factory machinery dismantled in 2025
Headquarters	Tanoa
Products	Firearms and ammunition
Owner	Tanoa Einsatzgruppen

Kleiner Einsatzgruppen Waffenfabrik (KEW) was a state-owned arms manufacturer of the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen. Founded by Gustavo Kleiner in 1984, it produced firearms and ammunition for the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS from a factory on Tuvanaka Island. The company began using forced labour after expanding production in 2001. It closed on 30 November 2024, and its production machinery was dismantled the following year.

History

Kleiner established KEW to replace Einsatzgruppen Waffen und Munitionswerk (EWUM). The Tanoan government financed construction of a new weapons factory in the interior of Tuvanaka, away from the island's settlements. The guarded compound had a dedicated road connecting it to the island's transport network. When EWUM closed in 1985, its machines and skilled workers were moved to Tuvanaka, where KEW continued manufacturing the older company's firearms and ammunition. Kleiner then left the factory under government-appointed directors and concentrated on his Allgemeine SS duties.

In 1992, KEW developed its first original firearm, a modular assault rifle with interchangeable components for different configurations. Selected Wehrmacht and Waffen SS units tested it and reported their findings to the manufacturer. After KEW revised the design, the rifle entered regular service in 1995. Production of the new weapon initially remained limited, with older EWUM designs continuing alongside it. Larger government orders in 2001 paid for additional machinery and an expanded civilian workforce.

Workforce and production

KEW relied on civilian industrial workers until the 2001 expansion, when Tanoan authorities began assigning forced labourers to the factory. Experienced employees operated the manufacturing machinery. Factory supervisors used forced labourers for material handling and maintenance work.

As resistance against the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen increased after 2014, the government demanded more weapons and ammunition from KEW. Management kept production running through extended shifts and postponed machinery maintenance. Civilian employees and forced labourers worked longer hours, while the factory's equipment deteriorated under continued use. By November 2024, the machinery was heavily worn and the workforce exhausted.

Closure

During November 2024, Tanoan authorities transferred most of KEW's forced labourers away from the factory. Civilian employees continued production. In the final days of the month, KEW's remaining management ordered production records and forced-labour registers destroyed. Investigators later recovered surviving files and damaged documents.

When the Tanoa Einsatzgruppen surrendered in Georgetown on 30 November 2024, KEW ceased operations. Transitional authorities confiscated weapons at the factory and closed the site. They dismantled its production machinery during 2025.