Italy weighs using EU defense loan on new tanks, eying Hungary team-up
Italy is considering using a European Union loan deal to pay for new tanks and armored vehicles supplied by Germany’s Rheinmetall, a source has told Defense News.
The money for Lynx vehicles and Panther tanks would come from cheap so-called SAFE loans organized by the EU to help member states beef up their military strength as Russia threatens the bloc’s Eastern border.
The subject came up in Rome on Monday when Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban paid a visit to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
“The two leaders discussed the opportunities offered by the European SAFE scheme, evaluating possible synergies between Italy and Hungary to support their respective industrial and technological capabilities,” Meloni’s office said after the meeting.
The two countries already have one procurement program, and one potential program in common. The first is the Lynx tracked armored vehicle developed by Rheinmetall, which Italy and Hungary are buying, assembling and adapting.
The second is Rheinmetall’s new Panther main battle tank. Italy is set to purchase 272, while Hungary signed a deal with Rheinmetall in 2023 to team on development and production of the tank.
An Italian defense source who spoke on condition of anonymity told Defense News that Italy’s purchases of the two platforms were candidates to be supported by SAFE loan cash.
theoderich hat geschrieben: ↑Do 22. Mai 2025, 16:52Starting in 2026 Hungary plans to procure a battalion of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) with a range of 300 km, a battalion of wheeled SPHs, Lynx 120 mm self-propelled mortar systems, small- and medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs, and four more Gripens.
The first HIMARS battery will be part of Hungary's PzH 2000 artillery battalion until a second HIMARS battery allows an entire MRL battalion to be formed. Hero LMs will be part of the HIMARS units, in addition to arming Lynx infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs)."
Der Kauf von HIMARS durch Ungarn wurde von Verteidigungsminister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky bei einem USA-Besuch besprochen. Seinen Aussagen zufolge entsprechen die 2023 in den Medien kolportierten 20 - 24 Raketenwerfer und hundert Raketen in etwa dem geplanten Umfang. Es haben bereits Gespräche stattgefunden und der Beschaffungsprozess soll in drei bis fünf Jahren abgeschlossen sein:
