The European Commission has approved Germany’s plan to acquire a 40 percent stake in KNDS, the maker of Leopard 2 tanks and PzH 2000 howitzers. The company also plans to expand production in Germany and add thousands of jobs.
After the collapse of the FCAS fighter programme, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger has raised doubts about whether the planned Franco-German tank project will ever materialise.
Germany plans to buy an initial 40% stake in defence company KNDS, the maker of Leopard 2 tanks and Panzerhaubitze 2000 systems, as Berlin seeks greater involvement in the defence industry and aims to retain key expertise.
The British Army will procure 72 RCH 155 remote controlled artillery systems under a contract worth nearly £1 billion. The programme involving Rheinmetall and KNDS will replace AS90 artillery systems transferred to Ukraine.
The UK Ministry of Defence will conduct a major wargame with five defence companies to assess how supply chains would perform during sustained conflict. The exercise will examine risks, capacity constraints and policy responses to maintain military equipment supply.
European defence company KNDS has confirmed plans to go public in 2026, with a stock market listing in both Paris and Frankfurt. The German-French group, manufactures the Leopard 2 main battle tank and the CAESAR artillery system.
Lithuania has signed a contract to acquire 30 CAESAR 6×6 MkII artillery systems, expanding its future fleet to 48 units. Deliveries begin in 2027, with plans to field a full CAESAR-equipped division by 2030 and a maintenance centre in Lithuania.
Croatia will purchase 44 German-made Leopard 2A8 tanks, Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced after talks with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković in Berlin. KNDS Deutschland recently said it had received orders for 350 Leopard 2A8 tanks, including 123 from the German Bundeswehr.
Croatia has ordered 18 CAESAR MkII artillery systems and 15 Serval armored vehicles under a French-led joint procurement mechanism funded by the EU SAFE programme and includes a full regimental capability package of radars, command-and-control elements, logistics vehicles and optronic equipment.
Franco-German manufacturer KNDS has secured 350 orders from five countries for the newest Leopard 2A8 main battle tank, with Germany alone committing to 123 units and planning to expand its purchase. The upgraded A8 variant features enhanced protection systems and represents several billion euros in confirmed contracts, with production expected to run for years.
SMPP and KNDS have signed a teaming agreement to offer the KATANA family of precision-guided 155mm artillery ammunition to the Indian Army under the Make in India framework. The companies announced the agreement at Milipol in Paris, outlining plans to support India’s requirements for advanced artillery munitions.
Germany has presented the Leopard 2A8 and Panzerhaubitze 2000 A4 in Munich, with Defence Minister Boris Pistorius outlining the Bundeswehr’s plans for new armoured systems, production requirements and cooperation with European partners. The Bundeswehr has ordered 123 new Leopard 2A8 tanks.
Belgium has inaugurated a new large-calibre artillery shell production unit at KNDS Belgium’s facility in Petit-Roeulx-lez-Nivelles on Tuesday, expanding national and European munitions manufacturing capacity amid rising demand for defence production.
Leonardo and KNDS have entered into an agreement to offer the CAESAR Self-Propelled Howitzer to the U.S. Army. Leonardo DRS will act as prime contractor and KNDS as system designer and manufacturer, with the system proposed for integration on U.S. tactical vehicles.
Ralf Ketzel, managing director of KNDS, manufacturer of Leopard 2 battle tanks, said,”The ability to deliver quickly is now exhausted,” adding, “Two years ago, a strategic decision should have been made that this will be a war lasting several years. Then we could deliver new material today,” in reference to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022.
