The German government will buy a 40% stake in European tankmaker KNDS from the families which own it, with a plan to bring its share to the same level as that held by the French government. It sets the stage for a long-awaited IPO (initial public offering) for KNDS on the stock exchange. Berlin had been keen to have an equal share to France before the listing. The stake is expected to be worth around €6 billion ($6.8 billion), depending on the valuation of the company. The plan still requires