From the howitzer to the European drone programme and the submarine, the enhanced cooperation projects between Italy and Germany

The OCCAR projects for multi-jamming capability Responsive Electronic Attack for Cooperative Tasks (REACT) and European Secure Software

Defined Radio (ESSOR).

Here are a few pointers on some projects:

The PzH 2000 is a self-propelled 155/52 mm howitzer developed by a German consortium formed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (now KNDS) and Rheinmetall. It entered service in the late 1990s. The German-made howitzer, considered one of the most advanced and powerful field artillery systems in the world, replaced the decommissioned M109L howitzer between 2008 and 2012. It has a highly sophisticated firing control system, which is controlled by a ballistic calculator, inertial navigator and GPS, as well as a semi-automatic loading mechanism that allows firing rates of up to 3 rounds in 10 seconds or 20 rounds in 3 minutes. The range varies from 30-40 km with standard ammunition to 80 km with guided long-range projectiles, such as Leonardo's Vulcano. The Italian Army has acquired around 70 examples (some produced under licence by Iveco-Oto Melara), using them to replace the old M109Ls. In addition to Germany and Italy, it is used by the Netherlands, Greece, Lithuania, Croatia, Hungary and Qatar. Since 2022, some examples (including 6 from Italy) have been supplied to Ukraine to support defence against Russian invasion.

Vulcano ammunition, developed by the Italian company Leonardo (formerly Oto Melara), is a family of long-range, high-precision projectiles for naval and land use. The latest addition to the precision munitions family is the Vulcano 120 mm.

The Eurofighter Typhoon fighter (aviation nomenclature F-2000A), is the most advanced combat aircraft developed on the European continent. The aircraft is part of the national warning service, guaranteed by the Air Force's air defence departments 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, which, in a matter of minutes, ensures that fighter jets take off to intercept and identify any suspicious air trails detected by radar. The Eurofighter, which has also acquired air-to-ground capabilities, is the result of industrial collaboration between Italy, Germany, the UK and Spain.

Eurodrone, is a joint European programme launched by Airbus, Leonardo and Dassault Aviation as a government-industry initiative to meet future European needs for an Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS), supported by the governments of France, Germany, Spain and Italy and managed by the European OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d'Armement). The first unmanned aerial system designed to fly in non-segregated airspace, Eurodrone will operate worldwide to support ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) missions, both at wide range and in operational theatres, ensuring the achievement of operational superiority through a broad modular capability.

The NH-90 is a medium, twin-engine, multi-role, modern, high-tech military helicopter, developed by a European consortium (NHIndustries, including Leonardo, Airbus Helicopters and Fokker) to meet the needs of land and naval operations. It is characterised by being the first fully fly-by-wire helicopter, extensive use of composite materials and can be configured for troop transport, anti-submarine/anti-naval naval missions, search and rescue (SAR) and special operations support.

The Class 212 (or U-212) submarine is a class of technologically advanced attack submarines, used by Germany and Italy, characterised by hybrid propulsion (diesel-electric with fuel cells), which allows them to remain submerged for days without surfacing, offering great autonomy and secrecy. For Italy, they are known as the Todaro Class and represent a remarkable evolution with high performance in terms of autonomy, stealth and the ability to operate in harsh environments.

The OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation) projects are European military cooperation programmes managed by this international organisation to jointly develop, acquire and operate weapon systems and technologies for the participating nations (France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain, UK), aiming to improve efficiency, standardisation and innovation in European defence by managing the entire life cycle of programmes, such as the Eurodrone.