Leonardo and Rheinmetall are establishing a joint venture to form a new European nucleus for the development and production of military combat vehicles in Europe. A corresponding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) had already been signed by the companies in Rome at the beginning of July.
As the two companies announced in a press release, Rheinmetall AG and Leonardo S.p.A. will hold equal shares (50 percent each) in the new Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles (LRMV), which will have its headquarters in Rome and an operational headquarters in La Spezia. The establishment of the company, which is expected by January 2025, is subject to regulatory approvals.
The main objective of the joint venture is the industrial development and subsequent commercialization of the new Italian main battle tank (MBT) and the new Lynx platform (-> Rheinmetall presents new Lynx platform) for the “Armoured Infantry Combat System (AICS)” program as part of the Italian Army’s land system programs. The development and production of further vehicles in this family, such as recovery, engineer and bridge-laying vehicles, is also planned. Both partners also expect extensive sales opportunities for their joint products on international markets. “We are creating a new heavyweight in European tank construction. With Leonardo and Rheinmetall, two leading European suppliers of defence technology are joining forces to realize ambitious projects,” says Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG. “We are primarily addressing the Italian market, but in the future we will also be targeting other partner nations that have a need to modernize their combat systems. Rheinmetall brings in the perfect technologies for Italian requirements.” https://militaeraktuell.at/fliegerabwehrbataillon-2-uebung-in-tschechien/ Roberto Cingolani, CEO of Leonardo: “This is an important step towards the creation of a European defence system based on specialized common platforms. Rheinmetall and Leonardo want to develop cutting-edge technologies that are competitive on an international level.” The Panther KF51 main battle tank developed by Rheinmetall (-> Rheinmetall presents its new Panther) will be the basis for the new main battle tank to replace the Ariete in the Italian army. The Italian AICS program provides for the procurement of more than 1,000 armoured combat systems in 16 variants. In addition to the classic infantry fighting vehicle, there will also be reconnaissance, anti-tank and anti-aircraft versions. The latter are to be realized with the Skyranger turret, which will also be introduced by the German army on Pandur Evolution. All models will have a modular design and the Lynx infantry fighting vehicle from Rheinmetall will form the technological basis.
60 percent of the work is to be carried out in Italy. This applies in particular to final assembly, homologation tests, delivery activities and logistical support. As part of the MBT and AICS programs, mission systems, electronic equipment and weapon integration will be developed and produced by Leonardo in accordance with the Italian customer’s requirements. Rheinmetall already has a strong presence in Italy, generating sales of around one billion euros with three subsidiaries and a total of around 1,500 employees at five locations.
Here for further news from Rheinmetall and here to further news about Leonardo.
