# Italy Awards €3.7B Armored Vehicle Contracts

Media reports published October 25, 2026, say Italy’s Army awarded Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles (LRMV) two contracts with a combined value of approximately €3.7 billion: 30 NMBT main battle tanks based on Rheinmetall’s KF51 Panther technology and 48 tracked combat vehicles based on the KF41 Lynx. Italy plans for domestic firms to perform final assembly, testing, and maintenance, with about 60% domestic production and program completion by 2038. The awards are not open solicitations, but the domestic-workshare plan may shape subcontracting, supply-chain, and long-term sustainment opportunities in Italy’s defense market.

- The two awards cover replacement of Italy’s Ariete tanks and tracked vehicles under the A2CS program; individual contract values and contract numbers were not reported.
- Italian and international suppliers may find opportunities in local production, assembly, testing, maintenance, and lifecycle support, subject to Italy’s domestic-production approach.
- Companies assessing participation should evaluate potential Italian industrial partners and capabilities relevant to the programs’ stated domestic workshare and sustainment needs.

**Jurisdictions:** international
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Published:** October 25, 2026

### Government Entities
- Italian Army
- Italian Ministry of Defence

### Vendors
- Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles (LRMV) (Joint-venture contractor and reported awardee)
- Leonardo (Joint-venture member in the reported awards)
- Rheinmetall (Joint-venture member in the reported awards)

### Sources
- [RT @velitesgear | Full Text Article: https://t.co/qkpQ9BMCZs | Author: @militarnyi Italy Orders KF51 Panther-Based Tanks and Lynx Armored Vehicles Worth €3.7 Billion 
A joint venture between Italy’s Leonardo and Germany’s Rheinmetall has secured two contracts to supply armored ve](https://x.com/velitesgear/status/2114285537926246637) - twitter-defense