23/03/2026 | Press release

Bonn, 23.03.2026

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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