German and Italian Defense Giants Approved for Joint Tank Production

Rheinmetall and Leonardo receive antitrust clearance to establish a Rome-based venture for developing advanced military vehicles.

The Bundeskartellamt approved the creation of Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles (LRMV), a 50-50 joint venture between German defense firm Rheinmetall and Italian company Leonardo.
The collaboration will focus on producing combat vehicles, including Lynx infantry fighting vehicles and Panther tanks, with Italy expected to place orders worth up to €23 billion.
The decision highlights the complementary expertise of the two companies, as neither could independently meet the Italian Defense Ministry's requirements for local production and technical capabilities.
LRMV will be headquartered in Rome and aims to strengthen European defense capabilities in response to growing geopolitical tensions involving Russia and China.
Rheinmetall also secured a separate €330 million contract to supply 568 military transport vehicles to the German Bundeswehr as part of its ongoing fleet modernization.