As explained by CEPA, greater European independence on defense and security — at least from France and at least in theory. In practice, this means getting serious about the development of credible capabilities. A starting point should be advancing Europe’s stalled multinational tank project by involving a new key player: Italy. Two researchers explain the topic: Andrea Arivella, a political advisor intern at NATO Allied Transformation Command – NATO ACT (Norfolk, VA, US), and Gabrielle Moran, the Executive Assistant to the Dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy (CMS).
The next European-made tank, actually a larger concept designated Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), will help define the future of ground warfare when it enters service around 2040. Historically, land combat has been dominated by large, slow-moving vehicles with advantages in firepower and troop protection. But, as fewer troops are deployed in favor of more unmanned technology, and as future battles shift to other domains including cyber and space, heavy tanks are expected to play a lesser role. This has led to a reconsideration of land warfare capabilities, with a growing preference for warfighting systems that combine manned and unmanned capabilities and enable greater interconnectivity across platforms. This debate has been shaping what Europe’s next tank should look like.
Assets of Italian involvement in the MGCS program
First, Italy’s entering the project with Leonardo and Iveco-OTO Melara (known as CIO, a joint venture between Leonardo and Iveco Defense Vehicles) units would benefit from decades of expertise in land vehicle development. Second, it further strengthens the project’s European character by adding Italy as another political and industrial contributor. it would serve European interests by equipping another country with the vehicle and would — like all multinational projects — spread the very significant development costs, estimated at $1.8bn up to 2028.
At the strategic level, Italy could help shape the tank for future defense needs, in line with its own view of future potential conflicts (i.e., likely to happen in large, clustered urban areas, or “Megacities,” including in the Indo-Pacific). If involved, Italy would help ensure the new tanks are developed with high levels of troop protection, agility, and digital interconnectivity; characteristics that fit both France’s vision for the MGCS, as well as Europe’s (and America’s) growing geopolitical focus on China and the Indo-Pacific. This could directly serve European interests from a hard security perspective by equipping the continent with a vehicle that is designed for tomorrow’s wars and making Europe a more capable defense actor. Furthermore, given France and Italy’s recent defense cooperation agreement, and growing political cooperation between Germany and Italy, it makes sense to include a third major project partner.