Deutschland/France Future Modern Tank Programme MGCS – “Italy, Norway, Poland and the UK want to participate as soon as it is possible (such a move is possible as early as next year, as soon as we have completed the system architecture studies)”

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  1. KNDS boss expects further partners in German-French tank project MGCS soon

    “In his government statement after Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the chancellor said: The Franco-German armaments programs have priority. That means: you are now a matter for the boss!”

    In an interview with WirtschaftsWoche, the head of the Franco-German armaments group KNDS talks about his expectations of the European tank project – and of Scholz and Macron.

    The head of the Franco-German armaments company KNDS, Frank Haun, expects that other countries will soon join the planned European Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) tank project. “We hear that Italy , Norway , Poland and Great Britain would like to participate as soon as possible,” Haun told WirtschaftsWoche. The Munich tank manufacturer KMW belongs to KNDS. Joining is possible as early as next year. “Once we complete the system architecture studies, we could add more partners,” Haun told the magazine. In his view, joining the four countries would be a great benefit for the project. “All of them have technology to offer in addition to an army to be equipped, like Kongsbergfrom Norway or Leonardo from Italy,” explained Haun.

    At the same time, Haun is demanding industrial management for his company in the project on which KNDS and Düsseldorf-based Rheinmetall are also working. “The system responsibility must lie with a single company,” says Haun. Politicians have to decide who gets the role. “The decision should be based on proven skills in system leadership. There has to be an end to committee proportional representation,” says Haun.

    So that MGCS can make rapid progress, the KNDS boss expects Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and French President Emanuel Macron to be more involved in the project than before. “In his government statement after Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the chancellor said: The Franco-German armaments programs have priority. That means: You are now a matter for the boss,” says Haun.

    In order for MGCS to get out of the “small-small between ministries, offices, amateur industrial politicians and lobbying”, it needs a “clear leadership like in the 1960s, when Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and French President Charles de Gaulle regularly discussed the status of joint armaments projects such as the Transall

  3. A pan European tank would be nice to see, F-35 style distributed production where all partners get some economic benefit.

  4. An European tank built for European wars, in Europe would be pretty awesome. There’s enough expertise for it to be decent.

    However, the age of the tank is kinda dead…

  5. Why would the UK be interested in this?

    We haven’t even upgraded to challenger 3 yet. Also the UK is not exactly known for having a strong army. The main focus has always been the navy, the army quite frankly has quite limited use for us outside power projection and even then it’s not a priority.

    Seems to be just a money sink to be honest.

  6. Britain’s chobham armour would be problematic.

    The UK has only allowed the Americans access to it; it is on both the challenger and abrams tanks. I doubt they’ll allow other countries permission to use it.

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