Germany Moves to Take Full State Control of Tank Maker KNDS

The German federal government intends to purchase the remaining privately held half of KNDS, the German-French defense manufacturer behind the Leopard 2 tank, according to a report by Handelsblatt. Because the other half already belongs to the French state, the transaction would create a company under 100 percent government control. KNDS was formed in 2015 through the merger of the French state-owned firm Nexter with the German tank builder Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW). The move has drawn little public attention, in contrast to the loud debate over the socialization of large real estate companies. The article questions what is driving Berlin to secure the Leopard 2 producer.