On Wednesday, October 2023, in Rome, a contract was announced for a collaboration between Leonardo and Rheinmetall. The joint venture, which is a 50-50 partnership between the Italian and German companies, will fulfill a significant vehicle order for the Italian army.

**Details of the Order**
The contract signed involves the supply of 21 Rheinmetall Lynx tracked fighting vehicles. This is part of a larger planned order totaling 1,050 vehicles to modernize the Italian army’s equipment.

**Leadership Statement**
David Hoeder, the executive chairman of Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles, emphasized the significance of this deal, stating it strengthens cooperation between the two firms and the countries involved. He noted that such collaboration is essential for European strategic sovereignty.

**Previous Agreements**
In 2022, Leonardo and Rheinmetall formed the joint venture to manufacture Lynx vehicles and an additional 272 units of the Rheinmetall Panther tanks. This was established as part of a €23 billion initiative to update the Italian army’s aging tracked vehicle inventory.

**Assembly and Components**
Both the Lynx and Panther programs will involve vehicle assembly in Italy, incorporating components from Leonardo.

**Specifications of the Lynx**
The initial five Lynx vehicles will be equipped with the Lance turret, while the remaining 16 will feature Leonardo’s Hitfist 30mm turret. Furthermore, it is anticipated that Leonardo’s new 30mm X-Gun will be installed, along with its C4I system, electro optic sensor, radar, and communication systems.

**Production Variants**
The Lynx will be produced in five variants for the Italian army, fulfilling a total of 16 operational roles. The variants include configurations for 120mm, 30mm, Mortar, Air Defense, and Non-Turreted applications.

**Program Renaming**
The Lynx acquisition program, formerly referred to as the AICS program by the Italian army, has been rebranded as the A2CS (Army Armored Combat System) program.

**Author**
The article was reported by Tom Kington, who serves as the Italy correspondent for Defense News.