KNDS France completes acquisition of Texelis Defense as latter accelerates activities

KNDS Mobility plans to launch SCATA's Mk1 4x4 vehicle at Eurosatory 2026. (SCATA)

KNDS France announced on 2 April 2026 that it had completed its acquisition of Texelis Defense, which has become KNDS Mobility.

KNDS France said in a press release that the acquisition would support its growth strategy: to increase its industrial capabilities, control key technologies, and ramp up production.

The company expects the acquisition to reduce supply chain dependencies and to consolidate capabilities such as drivetrains and vehicle mobility solutions across 4x4, 6x6, 8x8, and tracked classes. KNDS expects its offer across mobility, protection, observation, attack, and mission systems to improve as a result, accelerating development cycles and improving end-to-end control of land products. It sees potential future gains in technological areas such as energy optimisation and platform autonomy, with plans to develop its Track Electrified Drivetrain (TED) designed for manned and unmanned tracked vehicles.

KNDS France plans to leverage and strengthen existing technological and commercial partnerships, particularly for the Serval (Véhicule Blindé Multi-Rôle Léger: VBMR-L) 4x4 light multirole armoured vehicle programme, with KNDS Mobility providing the mobility system and KNDS France manufacturing and assembling the integrated vehicle and supplying associated equipment.

On 23 March, 10 days before the completion of the acquisition, then Texelis Defense said in a press release that it expected to benefit from the accelerated development of the Serval programme and the first export contracts for the vehicle, as well as from accelerated progress with the Celeris vehicle. A company spokesperson told Janes