Under the proposed agreement, the Italian government plans to acquire at least 350 Lynx armored fighting vehicles and over 200 Panther main battle tanks. The procurement will be spread over a 15-year period.
Rheinmetall did not deny the report when approached by Reuters for comment, stating that it would respond in due course. The news led to a 3.5% surge in Rheinmetall’s shares, reflecting investor optimism.
This potential order is part of Rheinmetall’s broader strategy to achieve record sales of 10 billion euros this year. The company’s order books have been expanding due to increased defence spending in Europe, driven by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Previously, Italy had planned to purchase Leopard 2A8 tanks produced by KNDS Deutschland and intended to join the European Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) program for next-generation tanks. These Leopard 2A8 tanks were to be manufactured at Leonardo facilities in Italy. However, negotiations between the Italian firm and KNDS were ended without agreement.
