KNDS and Rheinmetall to design MARTE tank in Europe

The European Commission has allocated €20 million to design a sovereign main battle tank by 2027. Europe will develop a sovereign main battle tank (MBT) through a German joint venture (JV) between KNDS and Rheinmetall to strengthen the continent’s technological autonomy. The German-led consortium is called Main Armoured Tank of Europe (MARTE) and will use knowledge and components from companies, start-ups, and research institutes across Europe.
The initiative is supported by Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, and Sweden.
Five major defence companies will be involved: KNDS Deutschland, Rheinmetall (both in Germany), Leonardo (Italy), Indra (Spain), and Saab (Sweden).
Europe’s defense competitiveness has declined due to the war between Russia and Ukraine. Work is now underway to rebuild the continent’s defense and technology industrial base. Pressure has increased as the United States has distanced itself from Europe, pushing the continent to take on more responsibility in NATO. It has recently been demonstrated by US President Donald Trump’s push to increase European defense spending to 5% of GDP.