In a landmark defense agreement, France and Germany have paved the way for the future of military technology with a breakthrough in the development of the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), a next-generation tank set to redefine armored warfare. The defense ministers of both nations announced on March 22, 2024, that they had finalized how to divide the tasks involved in the MGCS project, marking a significant step forward in Franco-German defense collaboration.
France and Germany commit to a 50-50 partnership in developing the next-generation Main Battle Tank under the MGCS program, focusing on the tank platform, main gun, new weaponry, communication technology, and a combat-cloud system. (Picture source Internet)
Under the agreement, the defense companies Nexter from France, and KMW and Rheinmetall from Germany, will each spearhead the development of one-third of the program’s key components. It has been assured that Nexter will manufacture 50% of the systems, maintaining the originally agreed-upon balance, with the remaining share to be divided equally between the two German firms. The first unit of this advanced combat vehicle is expected to be operational by 2035.