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36-580: KNDS is the joint holding company formed by German family-controlled defence company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), and the French government-owned weapons manufacturer Nexter , two of the leading European manufacturers of military land systems. Negotiations between the companies and the German and French governments started in Summer 2014. Support for a merger was building in both Germany and France. Presenting

72-512: A Leopard 2 tank was roughly €10 million. In 2014 KMW faced fines of up to €400 million because it had bribed Greek officials in the sale of tanks, and the German government was considering lifting its permission to export. In December 2015, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann joined with the French state-owned defence company Nexter Systems to form KMW+Nexter Defense Systems , a new holding company half owned by KMW's old private owners and half owned by

108-675: A testbed vehicle on the Challenger 2 chassis, with a brand new turret, autoloading system and a powerful 130 mm smoothbore gun, the Rheinmetall Rh-130 L/51 . The 130 mm L/51 is 500 kilograms heavier than existing 120 mm L/44 or L/55 cannons and would require a larger turret to work on the Challenger 3. In October 2020, the MOD argued against buying a new main battle tank from overseas instead of pursuing

144-600: A 51% stake and Mannesmann AG , Kraus-Maffei's holding company at the time, had a 49% stake. Siemens acquired Mannesmann's share in 2000. Wegmann Unternehmens-Holding KG, based in Kassel , bought the Siemens stake in December 2010 to become the sole shareholder of KMW. This holding company was owned by about 26 silent partners, all members of the families Bode, von Braunbehrens, von Maydell and Sethe and all descendants of

180-425: A laser warning system and an active protection system. In January 2019, Rheinmetall unveiled its proposal which included the development of a completely new turret with fully digital electronic architecture, day and night sights for the commander and gunner, and a Rheinmetall L55 120   mm smoothbore gun. Whilst a more substantial upgrade than Black Night, the turret was developed on Rheinmetall's initiative and

216-700: A wide range of equipment. In 2023, KNDS decided to replace the WFEL moniker of its British subsidiary, with KNDS UK. In June 2018, the German and French ministries of defence signed a letter of intent for KNDS to develop the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), a common main battle tank, and the Common Indirect Fire System, a common 155 mm self-propelled artillery gun. KNDS tanks were able, as of 2024, to operate jointly with other ground, aerial and robotic vehicles through

252-665: Is a British fourth-generation main battle tank in development for the British Army . It will be produced by the conversion of existing Challenger 2 tanks by the British/German Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land joint venture. Improvements to Challenger 2 began in 2005 as the Capability And Sustainment Programme (CSP) to keep the Challenger 2 competitive until the 2030s. Lack of funding meant that it

288-595: Is clearly totally unacceptable. Nevertheless, it is symptomatic of the extremely weak management of Army equipment programmes, by both Defence Equipment and Support and the Army Board itself, in recent years." On 22 March 2021, Ben Wallace presented the command paper , Defence in a Competitive Age to Parliament, which confirmed the British Army's plans to upgrade 148 Challenger 2 tanks for "around £1.3bn" and designate them Challenger 3. The MOD confirmed

324-591: Is controversial. When KMW applied for an expansion of the operating hours in spring 2018, this met with resistance in parts of the residential and the district committee. At the end of 2020, the citizens' initiative "School instead of tank" submitted a petition to the Bavarian state parliament with a complaint against the test track. In the still ongoing petition procedure, the Ministry of the Environment made

360-651: The Isle of Wight . A drawback of the adoption of the L55A1 smoothbore gun is that it is incompatible with the depleted uranium ammunition currently used by Challenger 2; the NATO standard tungsten ammunition being less effective. On 27 April 2024, the Ministry of Defence announced that a statement of intent had been signed with Germany for the development of an Enhanced Kinetic Energy (EKE) armour-piercing round for both Challenger 3 and Leopard 2 tanks. Background: History of

396-607: The Leopard 2A6/A7 family of main battle tanks) giving commonality with other NATO members. Ammunition is to be developed in conjunction with Rheinmetall AG, with a new kinetic energy round being developed for Challenger 3 and Leopard 2. The entry into service of the Challenger 3 has been brought forward to 2025, not 2027 as originally planned. The first units are to be delivered to the British Army in 2025. A total of 148 tanks are to be produced, with costs estimated at 906.89 million British pounds sterling (1.17 billion US dollars). By

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432-652: The British Boxer AFV with an 8x8 chassis was sublicensed from WFEL, now KNDS UK, to MTL Advanced. KNDS UK is able to build portable Dry Support Bridges, that can support the weight of a Challenger 3 MBT. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann KNDS Deutschland GmbH & Co , formerly Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG ( KMW ), is an arms industry company based in Munich , Germany . The company produces military weapons and vehicles, including tanks , self-propelled artillery , and other armoured vehicles . KMW

468-530: The Challenger 2 LEP, stating that an upgraded Challenger 2 would "be comparable—and in certain areas superior—to Leopard 2 or M1 Abrams ". The management of the C2 LEP was scathingly criticized by the Defence Select Committee on 15 March 2021. They said in a report entitled "Obsolescent and outgunned: the British Army's armoured vehicle capability", that "Despite having spent around 50% of

504-598: The Challenger 2, including MUSS and Rheinmetall's ROSY Rapid Obscurant System. In August 2016, the MOD awarded assessment phase contracts to several companies for the Life Extension Programme. These included Team Challenger 2 (a consortium led by BAE Systems and including General Dynamics UK ), CMI Defence and Ricardo plc , Rheinmetall and Lockheed Martin UK . In November, the MOD shortlisted two teams led by BAE Systems and Rheinmetall to compete for

540-462: The French state. Rumoured as early as July 2014, the combined company was set to employ 6,000 people and have a yearly revenue of around €2 billion, plus an order book of €9 billion. French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was content at the prospect of consolidating the terrestrial armoury of Europe. The company has been running a tank test route in Allach since 1964, the building law of which

576-571: The LEP which was then estimated to be worth £650 million ($ 802 million). In October 2018, BAE Systems unveiled its proposed Challenger 2 LEP technology demonstrator, the "Black Night". The new improvements included a Safran PASEO commander’s sight, Leonardo thermal imager for the gunner and Leonardo DNVS 4 night sight. The turret also received modifications to improve the speed of traverse and to provide greater space as well as regenerative braking to generate and store power. Other enhancements included

612-409: The allocated budget (£800 million), the programme has yet to place a manufacturing contract. The programme has a current in-service date of 2024 (originally planned for 2017) and is some £227 million over budget. After a decade of effort, this abject failure to deliver against both cost, (with an overrun now totalling over a quarter of a billion pounds of public money) and timescale (ISD seven years late)

648-614: The contract with RBSL had been signed, valued at £800 million (USD$ 1 billion), on 7 May 2021. Rheinmetall's more extensive upgrade proposal, including the new 120 mm smoothbore gun, had been accepted. The initial operating capability for the upgraded tanks is expected by 2027, with full operation capability expected to be declared by 2030. It was announced on 23 January 2024 that the first pre-production Challenger 3 had been delivered, with trials commencing in Germany in February and

684-531: The early 1980s to the mid-1990s when it was succeeded by the Challenger 2 which saw action during the Iraq War in 2003. In 2005, the MOD recognised a need for a Capability Sustainment Programme (CSP) to extend the service life of the Challenger 2 into the mid-2030s and upgrade its mobility, lethality and survivability. The CSP was planned to be complete by 2020 and was to combine all the upgrades from CLIP (Challenger Lethality Improvement Programme), including

720-476: The firm's founders or the later owners of Wegmann & Co. In 2012, KMW acquired WFEL, a British company that descended from the Fairey Aviation Company . In 2013 and 2014, about 80% of the firm's sales came from the export market, continuing a fifteen-year trend of exporting a large portion of production. In 2014, the firm had 3,200 employees and €1 billion in sales, and the cost of

756-729: The first live-firing of the main armament in April. On 18 April 2024, the Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps , attended the rollout of the last of eight pre-production models at the RBSL factory in Telford . A Ministry of Defence statement claimed that nearly 300 jobs would be created at the RBSL plant, with a further 450 jobs around the UK in a supply chain of companies based in the West Midlands , Glasgow , Newcastle upon Tyne and

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792-554: The fitting of a 120 mm smoothbore gun. By 2014, the CSP programme had been replaced by the Life Extension Programme (LEP) which shared a similar scope of replacing obsolete components and extending the tank's service life from 2025 to 2035, however the 120 mm smoothbore gun had seemingly been abandoned. In 2015, the British Army provided an insight into the scope of the LEP, dividing it into four key areas, namely: The MOD also began assessing active protection systems (APS) on

828-525: The leading German makers of locomotives of various types. Maffei also built other steam-operated vehicles and, later, manufactured vehicles with combustion engines, including locomotives, trolleybuses and buses . In the 1960s, Kraus-Maffei entered production of armoured fighting vehicles , starting with Leopard 1 tanks for the Bundeswehr. In 1999 defense production was spun off and merged with Wegmann & Co to form Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. Wegman had

864-585: The merger between the two companies was signed in Paris , in the presence of Ursula von der Leyen and Jean-Yves le Drian . It was remarked in 2015 that the corporate culture of Nexter led to outsourcing components, while that of KMW preferred to manufacture in-house. KMW made the PzH 2000 , while Nexter made the CAESAR . The two merger firms complemented each other, instead of competing with each other. KMW brought along to

900-409: The merger its subsidiary WFEL, a British company. In December 2015, the merger was completed, when the supervisory board appointed the new CEO of Nexter Systems, Stéphane Mayer, and the chairman of the executive board of KMW, Frank Haun, as CEOs of the holding company. In July 2016, the French press seemed content with the merger of the manufacturers of the Leopard 2 and Leclerc tanks, although it

936-460: The only option available without replacing the Challenger 2 fleet with foreign models. The Challenger 3 has an all-new turret with an improved hull. The most significant change from Challenger 2 to Challenger 3 is the replacement of the Challenger's main armament from a 120 mm L30A1 rifled main gun to the 120 mm L55A1 smoothbore gun (which itself is an upgraded version of the L55 fitted to

972-544: The project to French lawmakers in January 2015, CEOs of both companies assumed that the new holding would boost production for both manufacturers by avoiding export restrictions , especially in Germany. In July 2015 the French National Assembly voted in favour of a measure that permits the privatisation of state-owned defence companies, paving the way for KMW and Nexter to join forces. On 29 July 2015,

1008-689: The spring of 2024, eight pre-production tanks had been delivered and trials had commenced in Germany. The Challenger 3 will be the fourth tank of this name, the first being the World War II Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger , which was developed from the Cromwell tank chassis and armed with a Ordnance QF 17-pounder . The second was the Gulf War -era Challenger 1 , which was the British army's main battle tank (MBT) from

1044-638: The statement that there was no existing protection for the circuit on Ludwigsfelder Straße and that the system was not approved in terms of building law. In addition, in October 2021, a lawsuit was submitted to the Munich Administrative Court in October 2021. In mid -January 2022, IG Metall campaigned for the preservation of the route, since 1650 jobs were in danger without it. By defense division of KraussMaffei : By Krauss-Maffei Wegmann: Challenger 3 Challenger 3 ( CR3 )

1080-411: The use of multi-layer data networks. The main interface backbone is fully digital, via dual data bus and dual Ethernet, with a modular design, fully scalable and with an open upgradable architecture. All its functions are implemented in software. Thanks to the latest generation computing systems (hardware) high-performance calculations are implemented in real time, while there is availability of services in

1116-609: The whole range of high-speed data networks. One of KNDS's first projects was upgrading the Leopard 2 , with a focus on increasing effectiveness against contemporary threats like anti-tank guided missiles and the Russian T-14 Armata tank. The Common Indirect Fire System (CIFS) is a French-German program to develop a 155mm self-propelled artillery gun. Introduction of the CIFS is scheduled for 2040. Manufacture of

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1152-556: Was disappointed that the combined company was still 25% of the size of General Dynamics or BAE Systems . Prior to November 2018, the lead of the new Main Ground Combat System MBT was awarded to the German half of the firm, by decision of politicians in both France and Germany. In November 2018, Rheinmetall was thinking of taking over the 50% share of the German holding company, after the death of Manfred Bode. In December 2018, it became apparent that Rheinmetall

1188-410: Was formed in 1999 when the defense division of KraussMaffei Group was spun off and merged with Wegmann & Co . In 2015, KMW became part of KMW+Nexter Defense Systems (KNDS), and in 2024 it was renamed KNDS Deutschland. KMW's predecessor company, Krauss-Maffei, started in 1931 from a merger of the two Munich firms of Maffei (founded 1838) and Krauss & Co. (founded 1860). Both belonged to

1224-478: Was not funded by the UK MOD, nor was it part of the MOD's LEP requirements. In June 2019, BAE Systems and Rheinmetall formed a joint venture company, based in the UK, named Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL). Despite the merger, the company was still expected to present two separate proposals for the LEP contract. At DSEI 2019, RBSL first showed the 120mm proposal. In July 2020, Rheinmetall Defence showed

1260-427: Was not until 2014 that the programme was formally reorganised into the "Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme" (LEP). In response to the LEP programme, two prototypes were submitted for evaluation; one from BAE Systems in 2018 and the other from Rheinmetall in 2019. Later that year BAE and Rheinmetall merged their British operations into Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL), effectively leaving Rheinmetall's proposal

1296-423: Was seeking 75% of the whole KNDS company. In 2020, the number of employees at KNDS and its subsidiaries was 8,270, with a turnover of €2.4 billion, an order backlog of around €10.6 billion and an order intake of €3.3 billion. Its products include main battle tanks, armored vehicles, artillery systems, weapons systems, ammunition, military bridges, customer services, battle management systems, training, protection and

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