Leonardo-Rheinmetall, tank agreement signed
Preliminary agreement for an alliance on new weapons for the Italian Army signed. Towards orders worth 20 billion over 10 years for 280 tanks and 1,000 lighter tracked vehicles
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Key points
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Leonardo and the German group Rheinmetall today signed a preliminary agreement to create an alliance in land armaments. The two companies announced that they had 'signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) aimed at creating a new 50:50 joint venture to develop a European-wide industrial and technological approach in the field of land defence systems'.
Joint venture parity
.The pivot of the agreement is the establishment of a joint German-Italian joint venture to manage future production contracts for new heavy tanks (Mbt) and new armoured infantry vehicles (Aics or Aifv) for the Italian Army, which is to renew the ageing fleet of Ariete and Dardo. This is an industrial collaboration, no industrial plants are brought into the joint venture.
Future orders worth 20 billion
.'The agreement,' says the joint press release, 'is aimed at the industrial development and subsequent commercialisation of the new Main Battle Tank (Mbt) and the new Lynx platform for the Armoured Infantry Combat System (Aics) programme within the Italian Army's ground systems programmes. There are no figures in the two companies' note. With this agreement, the two industrial groups are aiming to win future orders from the Italian Army worth an estimated EUR 20 billion over a period of more than ten years, to produce 280 tanks (half in combat version and half support vehicles) and more than a thousand lighter tracked vehicles.
Panther and Lynx
.Rheinmetall has more advanced products than the former Finmeccanica and these will be the reference models to be developed and produced together with the Italian group. The Germans are developing the Panther tank and in tracked armoured vehicles they have already produced the Lynx, purchased from Hungary.
Papperger: let's join forces
.'Leonardo and Rheinmetall are joining forces to realise ambitious projects,' commented Armin Papperger, Rheinmetall's managing director. In order to obtain the rich Italian order, Rheinmetall is willing to let Leonardo participate significantly in the production of these 'Italianised' vehicles, especially for the electronics and tank turrets, so there would be work for Italian industry.
