Germany accelerates tank development with Leopard 3 project
The European tank resulting from the MGCS programme will not appear until the 2040s. Not all countries have that much time to wait for new equipment, including Germany, a participant in the MGCS programme. As revealed by the head of the MGCS project, Armin Dirks, an interim tank, tentatively named Leopard 3, will be developed before the MGCS.
The MGCS programme - despite the optimistic declarations of the participants - is stalled. As noted by the Ukrainian service Defence Express, it took over six years not to design a new tank, but merely for the French-German agreements regarding the division of tasks. The original assumptions that a prototype Eurotank would be ready by 2028 and the production variant would enter service in 2035 turned out to be unrealistic.
These delays have led to views - like the opinion of Rheinmetall's CEO Armin Papperger - that the Eurotank will never be developed. In a situation where it is currently a key future tank programme in the West, this may raise legitimate concerns.
Therefore, when Armin Dirks presented plans regarding the future of the MGCS programme at the IAV (International Armoured Vehicles) conference, a brief mention of the "bridging" tank, which is to be Leopard 3, drew attention.
Leopard 3 with a 130 mm cannon
This is a design that will enter service after the currently produced Leopard 2A8 variant. Compared to its predecessor, it will be altered sufficiently that it will be appropriate to use a new name, not just the designation of the next variant.
The Leopard 3 concept will resemble the Challenger 3. A new turret will be installed on the old, though modernised, chassis of the Leopard 2. The tank's main armament will be a 130 mm cannon with an automatic loader (as in the KF51U Panther tank). The new design will operate with drones and utilise the latest sensors and solutions related to crew situational awareness.
Leopard 3 as a competitor to MGCS?
A Leopard 3 configured this way would enter service in the mid-2030s, ensuring that the German army continues to have tanks representing a high level of technology. A demonstrator of this design, in a variant with a 120 mm cannon, already exists - in mid-2024, the KNDS consortium unveiled it under the name Leopard 2A-RC 3.0.
Commenting on these plans, the Ukrainian service Defence Express notes that - if the "bridging" tank receives new armaments, a turret, sensors, and possibly an improved drive system, it will not significantly differ from the future tank that is yet to be developed.
