Future of European tanks: Delays and diplomatic tensions
The agreement between Germany and France, aimed at developing a joint, future-oriented MGCS tank, will not yield tangible results until the 2040s.
MGCS (Main Ground Combat System) is a French-German programme to develop a joint family of combat vehicles. This includes a new main battle tank, which will replace the Leclerc and Leopard 2 tanks, as well as a manned vehicle with a rocket launcher and an unmanned Non-Line Of Sight (NLOS) missile launcher.
The programme is still in the conceptual phase and, despite being in the early stages, it is already delayed by several years. Gradually, France and Germany are working on an agreement concerning not only the involvement of their companies in the development and production of the new equipment but also regarding its technical specifications.
According to Defence 24, during the IAV (International Armoured Vehicles) conference, MGCS project leader Colonel Armin Dirks specified that each of the three developing vehicles is to weigh no more than 54 metric tonnes and will share a common hull and some components with the others. According to Europäische Sicherheit & Technik, this equipment is expected to be completed no earlier than the 2040s.
Imbalance between partners
The German industry cannot keep up with the demands for Leopard 2A8 tanks, and this equipment is ordered by other foreign clients beyond the Bundeswehr as well. This not only maintains production capacity but also facilitates continuous research and development. The successive orders for new Leopard 2 tanks lead to the saturation of the European market with modern tanks, which will satisfy their users' needs for many years.
French capabilities in this area are limited. Resuming the production of Leclerc tanks - despite possible interest from the Cypriot army, among others - is currently unprofitable, and it would require the restoration of certain production capabilities for some components.
France, like the United Kingdom, no longer produces tanks - the French industry only upgrades previously produced Leclerc tanks to the Leclerc XLR variant.
