The Defence Industries Agency, a component of the Italian Ministry of Defence that supplies military equipment to the Italian Armed Forces, has partnered with Leonardo to develop conventional 155 mm artillery ammunition over 18 months.
Leonardo said the collaboration, with options to extend further, aims to improve the operational capabilities of the Italian Armed Forces and enhance domestic production capacity that would boost Italy’s ammunition supply chain.
Under the partnership, the company will be responsible for designing, evaluating and testing the ammunition at national and international ranges, bringing the pre-series production into service, and providing personnel training and instruction support. The Defence Industries Agency will share its know-how in managing infrastructure, plants and machinery, and logistical resources, facilitate the production and assembly of the pre-series batch, and oversee the mass production phase.
The collaboration builds on previous partnerships between the organizations through which they engaged in joint activities to produce and market conventional and guided ammunition for calibers 76 mm, 127 mm and 155 mm.