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KNDS and LEONARDO form strategic alliance

Amsterdam/Rome, 13th December 2023

Under the auspices of the Italian Ministry of Defense, 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.

In addition, 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.

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Press contact

Dr. Kurt Braatz
Chief Communications Officer
Phone: +31 20 218 4710
E-Mail: kurt.braatz (at) knds.nl

KNDS is the result of the association 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 9,500 employees, with a 2023 turnover of 3.3 billion euro, an order backlog of around 16 billion euro and incoming orders of 7.8 billion euro. The range of its 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 represents the beginning of consolidation in land defense systems industry in Europe. The alliance of KMW and Nexter enhances both groups’ competitiveness and international positions, as well as their ability to meet the needs of their respective national army. In addition, KNDS offers to its European and NATO customers the opportunity of increased standardization and interoperability for their defense equipment, with a dependable industrial base. KNDS headquarters are based in Amsterdam.