KNDS

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
KMW + NEXTER Defense Systems NV

logo
legal form NV
founding July 29, 2015
Seat Amsterdam NetherlandsNetherlandsNetherlands 
management Margaret Hill (Managing Director)
Branch Defense industry
Website knds.com

KNDS stands for KMW + NEXTER Defense Systems and is a holding company for armaments companies based in Amsterdam , which was originally conceived under the project name KANT. The KANT project (for K (MW) A nd N exter T ogether ) was run by French Nexter Systems and the German Krauss-Maffei Wegmann . Both companies agreed on this when the contract was signed with a 50:50 holding company on July 29, 2015 in Paris. An alliance of the two groups under a joint holding company and the provisional working title Honosthor NV creates a company with annual sales of around two billion euros, an order backlog of around 6.5 billion euros, more than 6,000 employees and Europe's number 1 in battle tanks. The aim is the European development desired by the former German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen for the successor to the German and French main battle tanks, which is necessary and planned for 2030 . The Airbus Group is seen as a model for this international cooperation in the armaments sector .

prehistory

The German defense industry has been suffering from the Bundeswehr's austerity measures for years . The Munich tank manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) is therefore planning to reposition itself and is merging with the French competitor Nexter from Roanne , northwest of Lyon . In German politics, however, these plans are met with some criticism, which does not prevent KMW boss Frank Haun and Nexter boss Philippe Burtin from sticking to the plans for a merger. Both signed a declaration of principle in Paris on July 1, 2014. It was decided between the two arms companies to unite by spring 2015 under a joint 50:50 holding called KANT. Nexter, which so far belongs entirely to the French state, is to be privatized according to a proposal made by Emmanuel Macron, Minister of Economics and Industry at the time . The company builds the Leclerc battle tank , while Krauss-Maffei Wegmann builds the Leopard 2 .

Controversy

The merger plans are being watched critically in both countries because the tank business in Europe has always been treated as very sensitive. The French Front National party fiercely opposes a merger and firmly rejects the project. For example, the German SPD feared that the merger would make Krauss-Maffei Wegmann increasingly a French company and the technology that was built up with tax revenues would migrate to the neighboring country.

The German supporters say, however, that the French are less strict when it comes to arms exports. KMW could use this for future tank models after a union. Others also see the need for a new framework for joint operations between NATO countries and for the standardization and unification of armies' equipment.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Filth campaign against armaments company: "You know where I live" . spiegel.de. Retrieved May 23, 2015
  2. ↑ Le projet KANT ou l'idée d'un Airbus de l'armement terrestre . portail-ie.fr. Retrieved May 22, 2015
  3. ^ Franco-German arms merger is sealed ( memento of July 30, 2015 in the Internet Archive ). tagesschau.de, accessed on July 29, 2015
  4. ^ Nexter and KMW sign an alliance . asds-media.com. Retrieved May 23, 2015
  5. ↑ Von der Leyen plans to buy new battle tanks from 2030 . new-deutschland.de, accessed on May 25, 2015
  6. ↑ A tank forge based on the Airbus model . faz.net, Retrieved May 25, 2015
  7. ^ Fruit de l'alliance entre Nexter et KMW, Honosthor est le nouveau leader européen de l'armement terrestre . opex360.com, December 16, 2015 (French)
  8. ↑ Audition de MM. Frank Haun, président-directeur-général de Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, et Philippe Burtin, président-directeur-général de Nexter, sur le projet KANT . assemblee-nationale.fr of January 14, 2015 (French)
  9. ↑ A new tank manufacturer named Kant . tagesschau.de from July 2, 2014
  10. ^ German-French arms company decided , ORF.at of July 2, 2014
  11. ↑ Spiegel.de:Kraus-Maffei and Nexter want to merge
  12. ^ Privatization de Nexter et fusion avec le groupe allemand KMW: une faute grave . frontnational.com, February 10, 2015
  13. ^ SPD against merger of tank manufacturers . faz.de, accessed on July 7, 2015

Web links