Rheinmetall and Italy’s Agenzia Industrie Difesa are moving to upgrade the Italian Army’s legacy MATS anti-tank mine into the MATS MK2, a decision that goes well beyond routine stockpile maintenance. Announced on March 19, 2026, the program covers joint development, testing and production under a February MoU, with RWM Italia leading design and industrial execution. Work is expected within 12 months, converting legacy stockpiles into requalified, safer and operationally relevant munitions. Rather than replacing the system, the upgrade focuses on fuze modernization, explosive validation and long-term storage reliability. Read more...
Rheinmetall and Italy’s Agenzia Industrie Difesa are upgrading the Italian Army’s legacy MATS anti-tank mine to the MATS MK2, improving safety, extending service life and preserving a large-scale anti-armor obstacle capability for modern battlefield operations (Picture source: OSINT).