Under the auspices of the Italian Ministry of Defense (MoD), Leonardo and KNDS have signed an agreement for further development of a more intensive cooperation. The aim is to create a truly European Defense Group and, in addition, to cooperate more closely in the field of land based electronics.
Such a strategic alliance will enable the implementation of programs in cooperation among European nations, by strengthening their national industrial base and developing the future generation of armored vehicle platforms, including Main Ground Combat System (MGCS).
This alliance supports the strategy defined by the Italian MoD in the Documento Programmatico Difesa 2023-2025 and in the Action Plan of the Agreement recently signed by the Governments of Italy and Germany.
Furthermore, Leonardo and KNDS have also signed an Agreement to jointly implement the planned Main Battle Tank (MBT) procurement programme with a solution based on LEOPARD 2 A8. The Companies will collaborate in the development, manufacturing and maintenance of the LEOPARD 2 A8 solution for the Italian Army, as well as the support platforms.
The alliance between Leonardo and KNDS aims to create further production and development capabilities in Italy and to use these for future European and export projects.
The Italian Ministry of Defence is currently working on two major programs for the renewal of its Land Forces: firstly, the procurement of the LEOPARD MBT with support vehicles and, secondly, new Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) under the programme name AICS plus combat support systems.
KNDS (KMW+NEXTER Defense Systems) arose from the merger of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Nexter, two of the leading European manufacturers of military land systems, based in Germany and France. KNDS forms a Group of around 9,000 employees, with a 2022 turnover of 3.2 billion euro, an order backlog of around 11 billion euro and incoming orders of 3.4 billion euro.
The range of KNDS’ products includes main battle tanks, armored vehicles, artillery systems, weapons systems, ammunition, military bridges, customer services, battle management systems, training solutions, protection solutions and a wide range of equipment. The formation of KNDS marks the beginning of the consolidation of the industry for military land systems in Europe.
The strategic alliance between KMW and Nexter strengthens the competitiveness and international position of both companies as well as their ability to meet the requirements of the armies of their respective nations. In addition, this alliance gives its European and NATO customers a reliable industrial base to increasingly standardise and align their defence technology with each other. KNDS headquarters are based in Amsterdam.
Leonardo is a leading global Aerospace, Defence and Security (AD&S) company. With 51,000 employees worldwide, it operates in the fields of Helicopters, Electronics, Aircraft, Cyber & Security and Space, and is a key partner in major international programmes including Eurofighter, NH-90, FREMM, GCAP and Eurodrone. Leonardo has significant industrial capabilities in Italy, the UK, Poland, and the US and also operates through subsidiaries, joint ventures and stakes, including Leonardo DRS (72.3%), MBDA (25%), ATR (50%), Hensoldt (25.1%), Telespazio (67%), Thales Alenia Space (33%) and Avio (29.6%).
Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), Leonardo reported new orders of €17.3 billion in 2022, with an order backlog of €37.5 billion and consolidated revenues of €14.7 billion. The company is included in the MIB ESG index and has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) since 2010. (Photo: LEOPARD 2 A8 © KMW)
