The two companies meet in court on Tuesday to settle the key to the future of tank production in Germany
There is a reverse to the success that the German Leopard 2 tank is reaping in the wake of the war in Ukraine, to which different countries have already committed to supply 85 units and which is boosting its sales. Given the expectations that open, the two German giants of the manufacture of armored vehicles have been cited in court to settle who owns the intellectual property of the tank that both produce. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), manufacturer of the helmet, and Rheinmetall, in charge of the tower and the main weapon, have an appointment on May 2 before the Munich court in charge of settling the conflict.
The process has started from statements by the CEO of Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, stating that his company has the intellectual property of the Leopard 2A4 variant. KMW has responded by taking the case to trial, after Papperger, who has accumulated a string of major announcements in recent months, refused to retract. This older variant of the current Leopard 2 has served as Rheinmetall’s base for a new tank development, designated KF51.
The new KF51 was presented at the last international fair in France Eurosatory, which took place in June. It is a model conceived largely as a substitute for the current Leopard 2. Hence, it shares its same undercarriage, the same power supply and part of the hull structure.
The information collected by the German media Neue Zurcher Zeitung (NZZ) points out that KMW claims to own all the intellectual property rights of the car, of which it is the main contractor. The company’s officials accuse Rheinmetall of trying to meddle in its legitimate market, which has gained potential as a result of the war in Ukraine.
At least Italy, the Czech Republic, Norway, Lithuania and Germany have been interested in acquiring more Leopard 2s after the beginning of the Russian invasion of the Eastern European country last year, and some have even formalized their purchase.