Following the decision of the Federal Cartel Office (German National Competition Authority), announced on 20 January 2025, to approve the creation of a j Between Rheinmetall AG, Düsseldorf, and Leonardo SpA, Rome (Italy), Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG states: “We welcome the decision of the Bundeskartellamt and are extremely grateful for the support and the rapid handling of the matter. In light of the current geopolitical situation, our project with Leonardo is of crucial importance to provide the armed forces with the appropriate equipment – and thus to ensure security in Europe. We expect the first significant order from the Italian customer in the coming months.”.
Leonardo and Rheinmetall, two European leaders in the defense technology sector, join forces to realize ambitious projects. The closing of the j is expected soon, following completion of final regulatory approvals.
In October 2024, the two companies had signed the contractual agreement for the establishment of the j in Rome. As a result, Rheinmetall AG and Leonardo SpA will each hold an equal 50% stake in the new Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles (LRMV), which will be headquartered in Rome and have an operations center in La Spezia.
The main objective of the j is the industrial development and subsequent commercialization of the new Italian main battle tank (MBT) and the new platform Lynx for the program of the Armored Infantry Combat System (AICS) within the Italian Army's land systems program. The design and production of other vehicles of this family, such as recovery, special and bridge-laying vehicles, is also planned.
Il Panther The KF51 developed by Rheinmetall will form the basis for the new main battle tank intended to replace theRam in the Italian Army. The Italian AICS program includes the acquisition of over 1.000 armored combat systems, for which the infantry fighting vehicle Lynx of Rheinmetall will represent the technological basis.
Photo: Rheinmetall
