IRIA News

France and Germany signed a collaboration agreement on April 26, 2024, for the development of a forthcoming battle-tank system by 2040. The defense ministers of both countries approved an industrial work-share pact during their meeting in Paris.

Defense companies from both nations, including KNDS, Rheinmetall, and Thales, among others, are now poised to commence work on their respective proposals for the new tank project, which are anticipated to be submitted in the upcoming months, as stated by French Armed Forces Minister Sebastian Lecornu during a briefing. Germany is taking the lead on the project and will oversee the allocation of contracts for the initial demonstrator phase by the end of this year.

Over the past eight months, Lecornu and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius have successfully revitalized the project, referred to as the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), which had been stagnant for years due to disputes over the allocation of work among participating countries’ industries.

The ministers, who have emphasized their amicable relationship, reached an agreement last month to evenly distribute the workload between their respective nations.

Für mehr Tempo beim Landkampfsystem der Zukunft #MGCS haben Minister #Pistorius und sein 🇫🇷 Amtskollege @SebLecornu heute eine Vereinbarung zum #MGCS-Programm gezeichnet. Diese regelt u.a. die Verteilung der industriellen Verantwortlichkeiten. pic.twitter.com/XTBT7wxpFn

— Verteidigungsministerium (@BMVg_Bundeswehr) April 26, 2024

“There has been very important work which, enables us to say that in the 2040s, it will be time for two friendly neighboring countries, members of the European Union and members of NATO, to have a completely functional and operational armored cavalry,” Lecornu said during the agreement signing ceremony.

The German defense minister said that “there is still a long way to go before our Franco-German land combat system of the future, MGCS, is realized. And yet today’s signing of the MOU is another important milestone.”

During the briefing in Paris, Pistorius mentioned that several other nations, such as Italy and countries in Eastern Europe, have shown interest in participating in the MGCS program. He emphasized that strengthening Europe also entails broadening the partnership base to include more allies.

While visiting Germany on an official, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke about the joint French-German tank effort is and said that it “something we very much welcome.”

“It will make NATO stronger and it will help allies to get new and modern capabilities.” Cooperation will help overcome defense-industry fragmentation,” the NATO chief said.

Main Ground Combat System project

The MGCS project has been divided into eight key components, encompassing areas such as the main platform, turret and gun configuration, advancements in artillery, connectivity, and electronic warfare. While some of these segments naturally lend themselves to Franco-German collaboration, others will be managed independently by each nation, primarily based on their respective industrial expertise, as noted by Lecornu.

Representatives from the German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr, emphasized that the modular nature of the proposed system is the best feature of the tank. Various tank configurations tailored for different roles, and built upon a standardized undercarriage, will operate simultaneously on the battlefield. The viability of this concept remains untested, and currently, there are no studies or prototypes available for a system demonstrator encompassing the entire program.

The concept for the project has taken a lot of inspiration from the recent military conflict, including Ukraine’s defense against Russia. This conflict has witnessed the destruction or disabling of hundreds of main battle tanks, providing valuable data for new designs and drawbacks.

Concerns over tanks’ susceptibility to drone attacks and the diminishing efficacy of 120mm cannons against increasingly robust armor have caught the attention of the German military based on the data from the Russia-Ukraine war. These aspects would be incorporated into the project to develop a better armored core. Calibers of 130mm or 140mm are currently under consideration as the main cannon for the tank.