Leonardo Purchases HENSOLDT Shares

Leonardo S.p.A. has signed a purchase agreement for 25.1 per cent of the shares in HENSOLDT AG with HENSOLDT’s majority shareholder Square Lux Holding II S.à r.l., a portfolio company of investment funds advised by KKR. HENSOLDT thus will gain one additional major shareholder and future potential strategic partner. The sale is subject to the usual regulatory closing conditions. Square Lux Holding II S.à r.l. will still hold around 18 per cent of HENSOLDT after completion of the sale to both Leonardo and Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), which acts on behalf of the German Federal Government. Square Lux Holding II S.à r.l. had agreed to sell a stake of 25.1 per cent to KfW in March 2021.

As an independent, listed company, HENSOLDT has successfully expanded its leading market position in recent months. As an important technology partner and strategic supplier of key national technology, HENSOLDT plays a significant role in decisive areas of the German defence and security sector. The shareholder structure therefore safeguards both German security interests and the independence of the company.

Jack Richardson