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.
German troops, Leopard tanks and other military equipment have arrived in Lithuania for the first major exercise involving Germany’s new brigade. The Freedom Shield drill brings together NATO forces to train near Russia’s borders.
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.
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.
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.
The order is for a turnkey factory that will become a ‘Ukrainian Centre of Excellence for Ammunition’ to be operated by a Rheinmetall joint venture with a Ukrainian state-owned company, that will begin production within 24 months to manufacture hundreds of thousands of rounds of artillery ammunition per year.
German politicians voiced their outrage on Friday after a CNN report detailed an alleged Russian plot to assassinate the head of German arms maker Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, as a Kremlin spokesman denied any involvement from Moscow.
The Main Ground Combat System project is conceived around not just a new main battle tank design, but also a series of systems and vehicles built off that platform that will connect battle tanks in a data network with support weapons such as drones and other unmanned systems.
