Europe is strengthening its defense: Latvia will build a €12M ammunition factory, and Italy will buy hundreds of tanks and IFV for €20B.

By 2026, Latvia plans to build a factory to produce modular powder charges for artillery ammunition with a capacity of 50,000 charges per year. Construction and equipment purchase costs will amount to €12M, of which €1M will be co-financed by the EU. Purchasing raw materials to produce this ammunition will require about €15M per year.

Italy will soon purchase from the German defense concern Rheinmetall no less than 350 Lynx IFVs and more than 200 Panther main battle tanks. The order will also include support vehicles needed to restore damaged tanks. The contract is extends for 15 years, and its value is approximately €20B, part of which will be allocated to machine maintenance. The execution of the contract will allow Italy to fully modernize its ground forces. A joint venture between Rheinmetall and a local defense concern, Leonardo, will be created in Italy to fulfill the contract.

A similar joint venture between Ukraine and Rheinmetall will produce its first Lynx units this year.