KANT project
The KANT project stands for a joint venture completed 15 December 2015 by the German family-controlled defence company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and French government-owned armoured platform manufacturer Nexter Systems. The joint holding company is based in Leiden, Netherlands, and means K(MW) A(nd) N(exter) T(ogether), as acronym of KANT.[1] Krauss-Maffei Wegmann manufactures tanks, Nexter makes artillery.[2] On 29 July 2015 the merger between the two companies has been officially finalized in Paris.[3] The alliance of the two groups under the umbrella of a joint holding company creates a Franco-German defence technology group with a current annual turnover nearing 2 billion euro, an order book of around 9 billion euro and more than 6,000 employees.
The merger is supposed to open a consolidation in the troubled land weapons industry, analysts and industry sources said.[4] The product portfolios of the two companies and their regional presences on the world market complement each other. The alliance of KMW and Nexter creates a group with the momentum and innovative force required to succeed and prosper in international competition. In addition, it offers to its European and NATO customers the opportunity of increased standardisation and interoperability for their defence equipment, with a dependable industrial base. The Airbus Group is seen in Europe as a business success story with the cooperation of the core partner countries like France, Germany, Great Britain and Spain.
There was a hearing at the National Assembly of France for this joint venture and both CEO's explained how this project could boost both tank manufacturers avoiding export restrictions, especially in Germany.[5] Support for a deal has been building in both countries' capitals. In July 2015 French lawmakers pushed through a measure that permits the privatization of state-owned defense companies, paving the way for KMW and Nexter to join forces.[6]
According to German media reports, one of its first projects could be a revamping of KMW's popular Leopard 2 tank. France is more liberal with its weapons exports than Germany, where the sector is tightly regulated. The number of tanks the German army was allowed to have was capped at 225. It wasn't until fighting in the Ukraine broke out that the country's defense ministry raised that limit to 328.[7]
Notes
- ↑ KMW, Nexter Merger Completed. defense-update.com. Retrieved 10 June 2016
- ↑ Report: KMW, Nexter to sign merger agreement. upi.com. Retrieved 13 June 2015
- ↑ German, French tank makers KMW and Nexter seal armoured vehicles tie-up. economictimes.indiatimes.com, retrieved 27 July 2015
- ↑ Long-Awaited Consolidation Rolls Forward With Nexter-KMW Deal. defensenews.com. Retrieved 13 June 2015
- ↑ Commission de la défense nationale et des forces armées. assemblee-nationale.fr. Retrieved 13 June 2015 (French)
- ↑ German, French tank makers could merge next week. dw.com, 10 July 2015
- ↑ German, French tank makers could merge next week. dw.com, 10 July 2015