Rheinmetall’s Italian subsidiary RWM Italia S.p.A. and Agenzia Industrie Difesa (AID), a company belonging to the Italian Ministry of Defence, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to upgrade and extend the service life of the anti-tank mines MATS already in the inventory of the Italian Army since many years.
The MATS is one of the best examples of Italian technology in the field: simple, reliable, affordable and durable. Â Nevertheless, today an upgrade is required in order to meet the recent standards and extend the service life.
AID and RWM Italia have joint forces to develop and test the MATS MK2: it will be an evolution of the current design to meet higher safety standards and increase combat effectiveness.
RWM Italia will assume the responsibility of Design Authority for the new MATS MK2. The upgrade of the several hundred of thousands of MATS in stock will take place at RWM Italia and AID following a lean and cost-effective process flow.
According to current plans, work is scheduled to begin within the next 12 months and it will provide new jobs at both RWM Italia S.p.A. and AID.
Fabio Sgarzi, Managing Director of RWM Italia S.p.A.: “We are grateful for the Italian Armed Forces’ confidence in our capabilities and we are enthusiastic to cooperate with AID in this project. With the combat-enhanced MATS MK2, RWM Italia can contribute its expertise as a national centre of excellence for mines, sea mines, bombs, charges and warheads of all kinds.”
Fiammetta Salmoni, General Director of Agenzia Industrie Difesa (AID): “This initiative in collaboration with RWM Italia S.p.A. represents a further important step in the reactivation of public Defence production capabilities that are strategic for the country. AID’s competencies and industrial assets will contribute to the successful implementation of this programme as part of the broader set of initiatives launched since my appointment as General Director.”
MARTE – Main ARmoured Tank of Europe
The European defence sector entered a new era of industry- and Ministry of Defence-cooperation in the domain of Main Battle Tanks. Funded by the European Defence Fund (EDF), the MARTE project (Main ARmoured Tank of Europe) is far more than a technology project, it is a cornerstone for Europe`s strategic autonomy and military relevance in high intensity land warfare.
MARTE aims to design Europe`s future Main Battle Tank as a system complete that will dominate future battlefields. MARTE sets new standards in multinational capability development by harmonizing the requirements of in total 11 European Member States involved (Germany (lead), Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain and Sweden), including lessons learned from current conflicts. The overall ambitious project goal is to achieve Preliminary Design Review (PDR) maturity within only 24 months.
One year after the official Kick-Off in December 2024, the MARTE project, coordinated and led by MARTE ARGE GbR, a joint venture company between KNDS Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG and Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH, now has successfully reached a decisive midterm milestone. Building on the strong foundation laid at project start, the consortium confirms substantial progress across technical, organizational and strategic aspects within the past 12 months.
Guided by the MARTE Core Team, consisting of MARTE ARGE GbR, KNDS Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG and Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH (all Germany), Leonardo SPA (Italy), Indra Sistemas SA (Spain) and SAAB AB (Sweden), the MARTE consortium has managed to complete several technical Work Packages and to submit key deliverables to the granting authority, the European Commission in accordance with the agreed schedule.
The results achieved include a comprehensive Concept of Operations as well as a full set of requirements for a future Main Battle Tank System. Led by SAAB AB, the consortium partners engaged in close collaboration with the participating Ministries of Defence (MoDs). This joint effort resulted in a consolidated and harmonized baseline, explicitly incorporating the needs of the participating MoDs, representing the future customers. In addition, under the leadership of Indra Sistemas S.A., the consortium carried out an extensive market survey. Numerous partners contributed their expertise to evaluate the availability, technological readiness and performance capabilities of relevant technologies and subsystems across the European defence market.
With all submitted deliverables formally approved by the European Commission, a strong foundation has been established to advance into the next stage of the MARTE project. This phase focuses design and architecture activities of the overall MBT system and its subsystems, with KNDS Deutschland GmbH & Co.KG, Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH and Leonardo SPA taking the lead in driving these key activities.
The General Assembly, held in November 2025 in San Sebastián (Spain) and hosted by MARTE ARGE GbR, gathered all consortium members and key stakeholders at the project’s halfway point. Beyond presenting the results achieved to date, the event offered insights into ongoing activities, ensured full alignment on the roadmap towards the targeted Preliminary Design Review, and thereby reaffirmed MARTE as one of the most consequential defence programs embedded in the EDF.
The achievements reached to date, the strong industrial collaboration across Europe, and the continued active engagement of the participating Ministries of Defence collectively position MARTE as a decisive strategic investment in Europe’s technological sovereignty and defence innovation.
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