France and Germany agree to allow tank producer KNDS to set up branch in Ukraine
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu (Getty Images)
Paris and Berlin have reached an agreement allowing the Franco-German company KNDS, which manufactures tanks among other things, to establish a branch in Ukraine, according to the French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu after talks with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius.
"We are announcing that KNDS, a German-French company, will take a foothold in Ukraine with a local unit," Lecornu said.
According to him, the company's division will be involved in producing spare parts and training local personnel.
About KNDS
Established in 2016, KMW+Nexter Defense Systems (KNDS) is a joint venture of two European armored vehicle manufacturers - the German firm Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and the French Nexter Systems. The company's headquarters is located in Amsterdam.
Krauss-Maffei Wegmann is known in Ukraine as the manufacturer of Leopard tanks and Gepard anti-aircraft systems. Nexter Systems is the producer of the Caesar self-propelled howitzer and Leclerc tanks.
Three French companies will produce weapons in Ukraine
In early March, the French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said that France would encourage its defense companies to produce essential military equipment directly in Ukraine to assist the country in its war against Russia.
"Three French companies will establish partnerships with Ukrainian companies, in particular in the sectors of unmanned and ground vehicles, to produce spare parts on Ukrainian soil and, possibly in the future, ammunition," he said.
He hinted that the companies involved would include tank manufacturer KNDS, a holding company formed by France's Nexter and Germany's Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann.
"The idea is to launch the first production facilities this summer," Lecornu added.
