France and Germany confirmed on Friday plans to jointly develop a next-generation battle tank equipped with artificial intelligence and laser technology that will be described as a game changer in modern warfare.
During a ceremony in Paris, French and German defense ministers Sébastien Lecornu and Boris Pistorius signed a memorandum of understanding sealing a 50-50 split in the industrial production of an advanced battle tank called the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS). .
The push to move the project forward comes as Berlin and Paris look to show unity after a series of disagreements over how to support Ukraine in its war against Russia.
In 2017, Germany and France agreed to jointly develop the next-generation battle tank as a successor to the French Leclerc and German Leopard tanks, starting in 2040.
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But the tank plans have faced delays amid rivalry between French and German industrial firms and differing priorities in Berlin and Paris.
In March, the two ministers announced in Berlin that they had managed to unblock the stalled project by agreeing how to divide the work between the two countries.
“Today’s signing is a real milestone,” Pistorius told reporters.
“This is not the tank of the future, but the future of the tank,” Lecornou added.
The tank system will feature state-of-the-art technology that could usher in a new era in land warfare.
The MGCS will not only consist of an armored fighting vehicle but a system of manned and unmanned vehicles. It will include drones to protect the tank as well as the use of artificial intelligence and laser technology.
Funded equally by Paris and Berlin and under German management, the project was initially spearheaded by defense industry firm KNDS, a tie-up between France’s Nexter and Germany’s KMW.
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But the delicate balance was upset when Germany’s Rheinmetall joined the project in 2019.
Friday’s agreement puts manufacturers in charge of key components of tank systems, including platforms, turrets and weapons.
Talks begin with manufacturers to develop an initial demo, a kind of pre-prototype.
“The aim is to have the contracts in place by the end of the year, which is very ambitious,” Pistorius said.
With countries such as Italy keen to join, Pistorius said the project would be open to partners, “but we already have to draw up contracts” between French and German manufacturers.
Source: AFP