Leonardo and Rheinmetall have decided to establish a joint venture aiming at forming a new European nucleus for the development and production of military combat vehicles in Europe. The companies had already signed a corresponding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in...
To read the full article, please log in or enter your email below:
Leonardo and Rheinmetall have decided to establish a joint venture aiming at forming a new European nucleus for the development and production of military combat vehicles in Europe. The companies had already signed a corresponding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Rome at the beginning of July 2024.
Rheinmetall AG and Leonardo S.p.A. will be equal shareholders (50% each) in the new company Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles (LRMV), which will have its legal headquarters in Rome and an operational headquarter in La Spezia. The definition of the agreement and the establishment of the company, which will be expected by the first quarter 2025, are subjected to usual regulatory approvals for this sort of operation.
Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG: “We are creating a new heavyweight in European tank production. Leonardo and Rheinmetall, two leading European suppliers of defence technology, are joining forces to carry out ambitious projects. We are primarily addressing the Italian market, but we will also be targeting other partner nations which are in need of modernising their combat systems in the future. Rheinmetall has the perfect technologies for Italy's requirements.”
Roberto Cingolani, CEO of Leonardo: “This is a significant step towards the creation of a European defense system based on specialized shared platforms. Rheinmetall and Leonardo aim at developing state-of-the-art technologies able to compete at international level.”
The primary goal of the joint venture is the industrial development and subsequent marketing of the new Italian main battle tank (MBT) and the new Lynx platform for the Armoured Infantry Combat System (AICS) programme as part of the Italian Army's programme for land systems. The development and production of other vehicles of this family, such as recovery, engineer and bridge-laying vehicles, is also planned. Both partners also expect their joint products to provide extensive sales opportunities in international markets.
The Panther KF51 developed by Rheinmetall will be the basis for the new main battle tank to replace the Ariete in the Italian army. The Italian AICS programme involves the procurement of over 1,000 armoured combat systems in 16 variants in the future. In addition to the classic infantry fighting vehicle, there will be anti-aircraft (Skyranger), reconnaissance and anti-tank versions. All models will have a modular design and the Rheinmetall Lynx infantry fighting vehicle shall form the technological basis.
A 50:50 sharing of labour was agreed for the joint venture, with 60% of the work to be carried out in Italy. This concerns in particular final assembly, homologation testing, delivering activities and logistic support. Within the MBT and AICS programs, mission systems, electronics suites and weapons integration will be developed and produced by Leonardo according to the requirements of the Italian client.
Rheinmetall already operates three subsidiaries with a total of around 1,500 employees at five sites in Italy.
Türkiye’s defence company ASELSAN will present its latest land and weapon systems to international audiences at IDEX & NAVDEX 2025,…
AMMROC, a provider of maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services in the region, will participate in IDEX 2025 to showcase…
ADNEC Group, in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and Tawazun Council, announced the launch of the CBRNE Hub at…
Indra will present its latest defence technologies at the Idex exhibition in Abu Dhabi from 17 to 21 February. The…
HENSOLDT has secured a contract extension valued at approximately 350 million euros for the development of the Eurofighter Mk1 radar.…
SITA has introduced a new global messaging platform, SITA ATC Connect, designed to facilitate communication between airlines, airports, ground handlers,…
AirAsia has announced the return of its promotional seat sale, offering up to 15 million discounted seats across the airline's…
The T625 GÖKBEY Multirole Utility Helicopter, developed by Turkish Aerospace, has proven its capability to operate in extreme conditions after…
Saab will unveil its locally developed Coast Control Radar at the upcoming IDEX 2025. The system, designed to help safeguard…
The T-7 Advanced Trainer, AH-64 Apache, and CH-47 Chinook are among the defence and security capabilities and services that Boeing…
RT LTA Systems will present the Skystar family of tactical aerostat systems at the upcoming International Defence Exhibition and Conference…
The K9A1 Self-Propelled Howitzer fitted with a domestically-built 1,000-horsepower engine and the Long-Range Surface-to-Air (L-SAM) missile system are among the…
Rumors about Egypt's intention to purchase the Chinese made J-10 CE fighter aircraft, which surfaced last week, are being evaluated…
Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) have placed an order for 17 CH-47JA Block II Chinook Extended Range helicopters to replace some…
Rosoboronexport, a subsidiary of Russia's Rostec State Corporation, will showcase a range of defence products at the IDEX 2025 International…
Camero-Tech (Camero), an Israeli company specialising in radar-based imaging systems, will showcase its XAVER series of through-wall imaging radar at…
Sentrycs has been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract to provide counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) for a national defence project in Latin…
Abu Dhabi-based XRANGE, a facility for training, testing, and evaluation (TT&E) in defence, aerospace, and commercial sectors, has expanded its…
Indra has launched the European SMAUG (Smart Maritime and Underwater Guardian) research and development project, aimed at enhancing security at…
The Business Aviation Asia Forum and Expo (BAAFEx) 2025, set to take place from 4–6 March at Singapore’s Changi Exhibition…
Bharat Forge Ltd. and Liebherr-Aerospace & Transportation SAS have announced a collaboration to set up a new aerospace manufacturing facility…
Indonesian state-owned aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) has signed an agreement with Turkish defence technology firm Havelsan to jointly…
The Indonesian Ministry of Defence announced on Thursday (Feb. 13) that Indo Defence 2024 will take place from 11 to…
The Indian state-owned airframer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has committed to accelerate deliveries of the Tejas Mk-1A fighter jet, which…
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. (Rafael) of Israel is looking to produce two new-generation missile systems in partnership with the…
Indian state-owned airframer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a long-term contract with Safran Aircraft Engines (SAE) for supply of…
The Aerospace business of Godrej & Boyce, a part of Godrej Enterprises Group, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding…
GE Aerospace has inked a five-year Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract with the Indian Air Force (IAF). Under the terms…
Collins Aerospace launched its ‘Powered by Collins Initiative 2025’ edition at the ongoing airshow. This year’s opportunities bring focus to…
The Indian state-owned defence PSU, Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) announced the delivery of the 7,000th T/R (transmit/receive) module manufactured in…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2025 GBP all rights reserved.