France and Italy signed a letter of intent to add more to their existing cooperation in the defence sector.
French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu and his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto signed the letter of intent following a meeting held in Corsica, France.
Sébastien Lecornu also noted that it would be ‘natural’ for Italy to join the MGCS programme to develop future tanks and other combat vehicles. Italy has recently signed an agreement for German Leopard 2A8 MBTs to replace some of its ageing tanks as an interim solution. However, MGCS is considered a longer-term solution with an indicated timeline in the 2030s.
For several decades, France and Italy have cooperated on a few major joint programmes, such as the Horizon-class destroyers, FREMM frigates, and the SAMP-T long-range air defence system. Other examples of cooperation include Telespaizo and Thales Alenia Space, both working in the space sector.
Italy and France to Strengthen Defence Cooperation
