The KMW+Nexter Defense Systems (KNDS) is a European defence industry holding company, which is the result of a merger between Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Nexter Systems. The joint holding company is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
History
KNDS is the joint holding company formed by German family-controlled defence company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
government-owned
weapons manufacturer
The arms industry, also known as the arms trade, is a global industry which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology. It consists of a commercial industry involved in the research and development, engineering, production, and s ...
Nexter, two of the leading European manufacturers of military land systems.
Negotiations between the companies and the German and French governments started in Summer 2014 and support for a merger has been building in both Germany and France. Presenting the project to French lawmakers in January 2015, CEOs of both companies assumed that the new holding would boost production for both manufacturers by avoiding
export restriction
Export restrictions, or a restriction on exportation, are limitations on the quantity of goods exported to a specific country or countries by a Government. Export restrictions could be aimed at achieving diverse policy objectives such as environ ...
s, especially in Germany. In July 2015 the National Assembly voted in favour of a measure that permits the privatisation of state-owned defence companies, paving the way for KMW and Nexter to join forces. On 29 July 2015 the merger between the two companies had been officially signed in Paris. The merger was completed in December 2015 when the supervisory board appointed the new CEO of Nexter Systems, Stéphane Mayer, and the chairman of the executive board of KMW, Frank Haun, as CEOs of the holding company.
The total number of employees at KNDS and its subsidiaries is 8,270 with a year 2020 turnover of €2.4 billion, an order backlog of around €10.6 billion and an order intake of €3.3 billion. The range of its products includes main battle tanks, armored vehicles, artillery systems, weapons systems, ammunition, military bridges, customer services, battle management systems, training, protection and a wide range of equipment.
Products
In June 2018 the German and French ministries of defence signed a letter of intent for KNDS to develop the
Main Ground Combat System
The Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) is a project launched in 2012 by Germany and France, aiming to replace their current Leopard 2 and Leclerc main battle tanks..
The Common Indirect Fire System (CIFS) is a French-German program to develop a
155mm
155 mm (6.1 in) is a common, NATO-standard, artillery caliber. It is defined in AOP-29 part 1 with reference to STANAG 4425. It is commonly used in field guns, howitzers, and gun-howitzers.
Land warfare
The caliber originated in France after ...