Despite a glut of new defense spending in accordance with NATO’s 5 percent pledge, the “Main Ground Combat System” main battle tank is roughly 10 years behind schedule.

The Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS) sixth-generation fighter program remains in a free fall, and it is far from clear at this point if the program will crash and burn or find a path forward. Now it appears that another joint venture is facing new delays.

It was announced this week that the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), a joint Franco-German project which seeks to develop a next-generation main battle tank (MBT) to replace both the German Leopard 2 and French Leclerc, is at least a decade behind schedule.

Due to the delays in the project, Paris is now considering its options for how to proceed, which could include a “stopgap” MBT to enter service until the MGCS arrives.

France Is Pouring Money into Finding a New Tank

At a hearing on Wednesday, French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin told lawmakers that the government would increase defense spending by €36 billion ($42 billion) over the next four years, with the defense budget to reach €76.3 billion ($89.1 billion) by the end of the decade.

That would amount to approximately 2.6 percent of France’s gross domestic product (GDP), somewhat below last year’s pledge by NATO members to increase at least 5 percent of GDP annually by 2035. However, it would still double the previous defense budget and put France on track to reach the goal.

Vautrin highlighted an “intermediate” MBT as a priority for the French military. It could fill the “capability gap” as the Leclerc tanks approach the end of their lives, and MGCS is still many years from entering service.

“Our current Leclerc tanks will last until 2040—the MGCS project will take about a decade… We need an interim tank, that is likely going to be a KNDS Germany or KNDS France platform, which hasn’t yet been decided at this time, with a French-designed turret,” Vautrin said during the news conference. She added that the intermediate tank would be “the first building block of the MGCS,” rather than the last tank of the old generation—and that it would be “the first tank of a new generation of systems of systems.”

As with the sixth-generation manned fighter component of the FCAS, the MGCS project would have an emphasis on connectivity to provide shared battlespace awareness across the military.

The MGCS Could Be NATO’s Standard MBT—If Built

There have been concerns that a breakdown with FCAS would impact the development of MGCS. However, it appears that France is interested in moving forward with the MBT, and that even a stopgap vehicle could be integrated into the future tank developed under the MGCS program. The effort, a joint partnership that includes KNDS Deutschland, KNDS France, Rheinmetall Landsysteme, and Thales, has set a goal to introduce a new MBT by 2040.

Germany and France have sought to share the project’s development costs and workload, with Germany leading the effort on the chassis and France on the turret. Although it could be years before a prototype is unveiled, it is expected to be an optionally manned vehicle equipped with an autoloader, advanced sensors, and anti-drone capabilities.

Even with delays, the program could soon have a third partner, as Belgium has also expressed interest in joining the effort. Several other NATO members, including Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, have each expressed interest in playing a role in MGCS.

Even if those countries don’t officially join, it is likely that MGCS could become Europe’s future MBT—if the partners can get the program rolling.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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