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20/04Airbus develops new A400M Mothership variant to launch 12 Taurus missiles or 50 drones for long-range strikes
19/04US Navy seizes Iranian container ship Touska using 127 mm naval gunfire in Gulf interdiction operation
19/04North Korea tests 5 Hwasong-11 ballistic missiles with cluster warhead capability
18/04Australia selected the upgraded Mogami-class frigate for 11-unit order, after a competitive tender against Germany’s Meko A-200
18/04American Airlines rejects idea of merger with United
17/04Three US aircraft carrier groups and 10 destroyers blockade Strait of Hormuz
15/04US Army names new MV-75 tiltrotor ‘Cheyenne II’
13/04UK MoD orders Skyhammer counter-drone missiles against Iranian Shahed threat
13/04France edges closer to Eurodrone exit with its defence programming revision
11/04Full success of the Artemis II NASA's first crewed lunar flyby in 50 years
11/04Falcon 9 launches NG-24 Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the ISS for resupply mission
09/04Belgium orders 5 Cessna SkyCourier twin turboprops to serve with the country’s special forces
10/03US Army deploys Ukrainian Merops anti-drone system against Iranian Shahed drones in Middle-East
09/03NATO intercepts Iranian ballistic missile in the Turkish airspace for second time
09/03First Starship V3 launch slips to April
20/04Airbus develops new A400M Mothership variant to launch 12 Taurus missiles or 50 drones for long-range strikes
19/04US Navy seizes Iranian container ship Touska using 127 mm naval gunfire in Gulf interdiction operation
19/04North Korea tests 5 Hwasong-11 ballistic missiles with cluster warhead capability
18/04Australia selected the upgraded Mogami-class frigate for 11-unit order, after a competitive tender against Germany’s Meko A-200
18/04American Airlines rejects idea of merger with United
17/04Three US aircraft carrier groups and 10 destroyers blockade Strait of Hormuz
15/04US Army names new MV-75 tiltrotor ‘Cheyenne II’
13/04UK MoD orders Skyhammer counter-drone missiles against Iranian Shahed threat
13/04France edges closer to Eurodrone exit with its defence programming revision
11/04Full success of the Artemis II NASA's first crewed lunar flyby in 50 years
11/04Falcon 9 launches NG-24 Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the ISS for resupply mission
09/04Belgium orders 5 Cessna SkyCourier twin turboprops to serve with the country’s special forces
10/03US Army deploys Ukrainian Merops anti-drone system against Iranian Shahed drones in Middle-East
09/03NATO intercepts Iranian ballistic missile in the Turkish airspace for second time
09/03First Starship V3 launch slips to April
20/04Airbus develops new A400M Mothership variant to launch 12 Taurus missiles or 50 drones for long-range strikes
19/04US Navy seizes Iranian container ship Touska using 127 mm naval gunfire in Gulf interdiction operation
19/04North Korea tests 5 Hwasong-11 ballistic missiles with cluster warhead capability
18/04Australia selected the upgraded Mogami-class frigate for 11-unit order, after a competitive tender against Germany’s Meko A-200
18/04American Airlines rejects idea of merger with United
17/04Three US aircraft carrier groups and 10 destroyers blockade Strait of Hormuz
15/04US Army names new MV-75 tiltrotor ‘Cheyenne II’
13/04UK MoD orders Skyhammer counter-drone missiles against Iranian Shahed threat
13/04France edges closer to Eurodrone exit with its defence programming revision
11/04Full success of the Artemis II NASA's first crewed lunar flyby in 50 years
11/04Falcon 9 launches NG-24 Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the ISS for resupply mission
09/04Belgium orders 5 Cessna SkyCourier twin turboprops to serve with the country’s special forces
10/03US Army deploys Ukrainian Merops anti-drone system against Iranian Shahed drones in Middle-East
09/03NATO intercepts Iranian ballistic missile in the Turkish airspace for second time
09/03First Starship V3 launch slips to April
20/04Airbus develops new A400M Mothership variant to launch 12 Taurus missiles or 50 drones for long-range strikes
19/04US Navy seizes Iranian container ship Touska using 127 mm naval gunfire in Gulf interdiction operation
19/04North Korea tests 5 Hwasong-11 ballistic missiles with cluster warhead capability
18/04Australia selected the upgraded Mogami-class frigate for 11-unit order, after a competitive tender against Germany’s Meko A-200
18/04American Airlines rejects idea of merger with United
17/04Three US aircraft carrier groups and 10 destroyers blockade Strait of Hormuz
15/04US Army names new MV-75 tiltrotor ‘Cheyenne II’
13/04UK MoD orders Skyhammer counter-drone missiles against Iranian Shahed threat
13/04France edges closer to Eurodrone exit with its defence programming revision
11/04Full success of the Artemis II NASA's first crewed lunar flyby in 50 years
11/04Falcon 9 launches NG-24 Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the ISS for resupply mission
09/04Belgium orders 5 Cessna SkyCourier twin turboprops to serve with the country’s special forces
10/03US Army deploys Ukrainian Merops anti-drone system against Iranian Shahed drones in Middle-East
09/03NATO intercepts Iranian ballistic missile in the Turkish airspace for second time
09/03First Starship V3 launch slips to April

Your are here : Home News / Nexter becomes a European leader in the ammunition sector

Nexter becomes a European leader in the ammunition sector

On April 24th, French group Nexter Systems announced that it signed contracts for the acquisition of 100 % of the companies Mecar and Simmel Difesa for an amount of € 168 millions with the English group Chemring.

These two transactions will enable the Nexter Group to strengthen its munitions activity and become a leading company in this sector.

Mecar is a Belgian company that produces ammunition for tanks of 105 and 90 mm as well as smooth mortar ammunition and hand grenades and for rifles. With a turnover of 125 million euros in 2013, the company has 355 employees and 90 % of its turnover is realised in export markets, with over thirty of customer countries.

Simmel Difesa, also owned by Chemring Group is an Italian company based near Rome, with its activity mainly geared towards medium and large calibre ammunition. Simmel Difesa is also the world leader in naval ammo with their rockets and provide 40 mm, 76 mm... The company also produces components for missiles and mortar shells. With a turnover of 59 millions euros, Simmel has 225 employees and has 70% of its turnover in export with about thirty customer countries .

Regarding the Chemring company, this decision will allow the english based company to focus on his core activity (naval decoys, sensors and electronic ) and get some cash.

The result is the birth of a new European leader in the ammunition sector, with a comprehensive catalogue and very little overlap between these activities and the Nexter ones.

The biggest European ammunition groups includes: BAe, Rheinmetall and Nexter, with turnovers comprised between 300 and 400 million euros.

These two new companies will be grouped in the Nexter munitions activity. And even if the transverse functions (HR, procurement, finance...) are regrouped, the acquired companies will remain autonomous, keeping their identity. Nexter still has to wait for the approval of the Chemring shareholders, a publicly traded company as well as the agreement of Italian authorities, which is expected within the coming weeks.

Following the recent acquisitions of SNPE and Paul Boyer, Nexter is also still in discussion to acquire some other companies (TDA, OttoMelara... ), revealing the ambition of the French group to get a critical size and a greater export footprint. No doubt that Nexter wants to position itself as one of Europe 's leading land defence and reaffirms its willingness to play an important role in the restructuring of the sector.