Germany and France unveil "Tank Of the Future"

German and French defence ministers signed a joint declaration on the so-called "Tank Of the Future". The MGCS (Main Ground Combat System) project aims to replace the Leopard 2 and Leclerc tanks with a modern combat system that meets the requirements of the modern battlefield. "Tank Of the Future". According to announcements, the new vehicles will appear by 2040.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu announced that their countries are ready to continue work on the "Tank Of the Future", which in the coming years will become the cornerstone of the ground defence of their countries, reports Deutsche Welle.

The emerging land platform MGCS (Main Ground Combat System) will replace the Leclerc and Leopard 2 tanks.

2017, Germany and France agreed on plans for joint defence industry projects. These included the construction of the FCAS (Future Combat Air System), developing drone systems, and the land combat system MGCS (Main Ground Combat System). The latter program encompasses the development of the "Tank Of the Future" and a series of integrated solutions and vehicles built on this platform.

As DW highlights, Germany will lead the development of MGCS, while France will spearhead the development of FCAS.

The MGCS is aptly named the "Tank of the Future." The vehicle will be significantly lighter than the tanks currently in use, yet the designers prioritize maximum mobility. The MGCS will also forego heavy armour. Its survival on the battlefield will rely on other elements, including high situational awareness, electronic warfare systems, and active and passive defence systems.

The tank will also harness technologies based on artificial intelligence. AI will assist the MGCS crew in intelligence gathering, planning, commanding, and fire coordination, enabling even faster decision-making. Communication systems will ensure that tactical information is shared between crews, command centres, and systems associated with MGCS in real-time. Each MGCS team will be interconnected on the battlefield via a data cloud.

The MGCS is expected to detect targets at distances of up to about 9.7 kilometres and eliminate those within a range of up to 8 kilometres. Its unmanned turret will be armed with 130 or 140 mm guns, and its weight will not exceed 55 tonnes. The MGCS's armament will also include laser systems.