'New Italy tank must be made quickly' says Crosetto

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 18 - A new battle tank to be built for the Italian armed forces in a new Italo-German joint venture between defence giants Leonardo and Rheinmetall must be made quickly because time is a key variable in the project, Defence Minister Guodo Crosetto said Friday.
    "The time we need is what's left: time is a relevant variable to overcome the challenges, which pit us against national actors who believe that democracies are a problem", he said.
    "The defence industry must come down from the pedestal on which it has been for too many years and start producing like other companies on the market, therefore with the lowest possible costs and with timing compatible with needs", said Crosetto, who chaired the federation of Italian defence companies before becoming minister.
    Leonardo and Rheinmetall signed their equal-parts joint venture, announced in July, on Tuesday in Rome.
    The JV will have its legal domicile in Rome and operational HQ in La Spezia.
    It is an Italian-German alliance for tanks that came to life as a "primary objective" for mega-orders of over 20 billion in 10 years of the Italian Army to renew the old fleet of Arietes and Dardos, with 280 tanks, partly in combat version and partly in support version, and more than a thousand light tracked vehicles.
    But it also focuses on exports and, above all, looks ahead to the opportunities of the future program for a new European heavy tank, the 'Main Ground Combat System'.
    Overall, it is a market that has been estimated to be worth over 50 billion.
    The division of work will be 50-50 between Leonardo and Rheinmetall, with 60% of the activities to be carried out in Italy.
    Leonardo Managing Director Roberto Cingolani said: "This is a significant step towards the creation of a European defence system based on shared specialised platforms.
    "Rheinmetall and Leonardo aim to develop cutting-edge technologies capable of competing at an international level".
    Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said: "We are creating a new heavyweight in European tank production.
    "Leonardo and Rheinmetall, two leading European defense technology providers, are joining forces to realize ambitious projects.
    "We are targeting the Italian market first, but we will also address other partner countries that will need to modernize their combat systems in the future. "Rheinmetall has the perfect technologies for Italy's needs." (ANSA).