Overview
- The Bundeskartellamt approved joint development, saying neither company could meet the requirements alone and that competition would not be impaired.
- The existing PSM joint venture will be expanded to manage a future Bundeswehr contract, with first vehicles targeted for the 2030s, according to official and trade reports.
- Early industry reporting points to a 130-mm main gun with an autoloader, a three-person crew and a redesigned, lower-profile turret, though specifications are not yet confirmed.
- The initiative is positioned as a bridge to the Franco-German MGCS program, which is planned to deliver first systems around 2045.
- Separately, KNDS completed delivery of 44 Leopard‑2A7HU tanks to Hungary, and market commentary suggests the approval could hasten sector consolidation, including a possible Rheinmetall move on KNDS’s German operations.