# Leonardo-Rheinmetall venture secures $4.16 billion in Italian Army orders, MF reports
Reuters, reporting in Defense News, cites MF on combat-vehicle and tank orders. Leonardo's CEO could not confirm a signing.
Published 2026-10-23 by TGOs. Canonical: https://tgos.io/news/2026/10/23/leonardo-rheinmetall-venture-secures-4-16-billion-in-italian/
Leonardo and Rheinmetall secured two Italian Army vehicle contracts worth $4.16 billion through their joint venture, Italy's MF newspaper reported, according to Defense News, which carried the Reuters story.[1] Leonardo CEO Lorenzo Mariani could not confirm whether the contract had been signed, saying communication must be coordinated with clients.[1] Rheinmetall declined to comment.[1]
If confirmed, the orders reported by Defense News would follow the initial Army Armoured Combat System (A2CS) contract with orders for combat vehicles and new-generation main battle tanks.[1][1][2]
Mariani said in Rome that the program was ready to enter production from Leonardo's side, according to Defense News.[1] He said work was progressing on both the tank program and the Future Combat System in cooperation with Rheinmetall.[1] The report gives no breakdown of the contract values, vehicle quantities or delivery schedule.[1]
The venture's first A2CS supply contract, announced last November, covered 21 combat vehicles.[2] It included another 30 vehicles as options.[2]
On Jan. 27, 2026, the venture delivered its first four Lynx infantry fighting vehicles to the Italian Army.[3]
## Why it matters
The partners agreed to split the venture's work equally, with 60% of activities planned for Italy, including integration, approval testing, delivery, logistical support and parts of production and development.[2]
## Sources
1. Defense News (Reuters): Leonardo, Rheinmetall secure $4 billion contracts with Italian Army, report says
2. Leonardo: first contract to supply armoured vehicles for the Italian Army (Nov. 5, 2025)
3. Leonardo: Italian Army's A2CS programme kicks off (Jan. 27, 2026)