METLEN and KNDS held a high-level joint event during this year’s Eurosatory international exhibition in Paris, presenting the VBCI PHILOCTETES®, the latest generation French 8x8 Infantry Fighting Vehicle, to an international audience. The event took place at the KNDS stand in the presence of senior representatives of the French Armed Forces, French and international media representatives, as well as executives and stakeholders from the European and international defence ecosystem.
METLEN’s presence at Eurosatory 2026 – Europe’s leading defence and security exhibition and one of the world’s most important events in the sector – reflects the Company’s growing role within the European defence industry. The joint presentation of the VBCI PHILOCTETES® alongside KNDS further demonstrates METLEN’s strength as a trusted industrial partner in strategic European defence collaborations, leveraging the advanced capabilities of the M Technologies Hub in Volos, Greece.
Vassilis Tsiamis, Chief Executive Director of M Technologies, METLEN, stated: “Europe is entering a new era in which security and strategic autonomy require a strong and resilient defence industrial base. M Technologies, with more than 25 years of experience in demanding international defence programmes, has developed significant industrial capabilities and expertise in critical defence systems. Our cooperation with KNDS for the co-production of the VBCI PHILOCTETES® represents a strategic partnership built on a long-standing relationship of cooperation and trust, as well as a shared vision for the future of European defence.”
For his part, Nicolas Groult, Chief Executive Officer of KNDS France, described the VBCI PHILOCTETES® as an unprecedented industrial partnership between Greece and France. He underlined that this is a genuine and long-term industrial commitment between the two countries and expressed his belief that PHILOCTETES® could become the first in a series of land defence systems to be produced at the new M Technologies industrial hub in Volos. He also thanked M Technologies for its long-standing cooperation with KNDS and made particular reference to the relationship of trust that the two companies have built over many years.
In April 2025, METLEN entered into an exclusive partnership with KNDS for the production of the VBCI PHILOCTETES®. The agreement provides for the transfer of cutting-edge know-how in aluminium armour manufacturing, as well as the development of production capabilities in Greece for the manufacturing and assembly of the VBCI Mk2.
With more than 25 years of participation in demanding international defence programmes, METLEN has established itself as a trusted industrial partner within the European defence industry. Today, the M Technologies Hub in Volos stands as one of the region’s most important industrial centres for the production of complex metal structures and defence systems, with significant export activity and proven expertise in delivering highly demanding programmes of international scale.
