The proposal itself would formally be a joint Italian-French initiative. Italian participation in the programme would concern not only the purchase of land vehicles developed under the MGCS programme (including a new generation main battle tank, combat reconnaissance vehicle, and various support vehicles), but also cooperation in the production process.
Italy would be represented in the project by Leonardo, which offers a range of solutions in the field of optoelectronic systems, digital architecture, and unmanned systems. Therefore, it could be a desirable partner for the German-French KNDS and the German group Rheinmetall, both of which are already involved in the MGCS programme.
At this year’s Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, Italy’s possible participation in the MGCS programme was set to be discussed by the Minister of Defense of the Italian Republic, Guido Crosetto, and the Minister of the Armed Forces of the French Republic, Sébastien Lecornu.
It is worth noting that the military-industrial cooperation between Paris and Rome already has a long and quite successful history, which continues to develop. Examples include joint projects such as the Horizon/Orizzonte-class destroyers, FREMM-class frigates, and the SAMP/T air defense system. Additionally, Italy’s cooperation with Berlin is evident, particularly in projects like the Type 212 submarines.
