There they are standing in Paris, Boris Pistorius (SPD) and Sébastien Lecornu, shaking each other’s hands and hugging each other. Shortly before, the defense ministers took another step forward when it came to “tanks of the future”. At least a declaration of intent was signed, a “memorandum of understanding”.
The “Main Ground Combat System” (MGCS), the German-French land combat system, has been going back and forth for several years. It should be modern, use artificial intelligence or even connect different weapon systems with each other, right up to the possibility of unmanned use – in the 2040s it should be the German one Leopard-tanks and the French Leclerc substitute .
Eight pillars are to be distributed equally to Germany and France
For a long time, things were quiet around the MGCS. Since last year, conversations and discussions have been picking up speed again. About a month ago, what Pistorius said was a “historic moment”: after long battles over distribution, he and his French counterpart were able to reach an agreement.
The two explained what this should look like in a joint statement on Friday morning in Paris. This is how the distribution of industrial responsibilities is regulated. The plan is to divide production and added value roughly equally between France and Germany. There will therefore be eight pillars, divided equally between the two countries. Germany and France should lead two pillars each and coordinate four together.
“It’s not about the tank of the future, but about the future of tanks,” said French Defense Minister Lecornu. The German-French cooperation is intended to strengthen the European defense industry. But of course the joint project also has a signaling effect towards Russia. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had already expressed satisfaction with the latest progress. “We welcome NATO allies working together to create military capacity because that will make us stronger,” he said, according to the German Press Agency. Boris Pistorius was confident that the relevant contracts would be in place by the end of the year. He has no doubt that the tank project will receive a broad majority in the German Bundestag.