German-French project
The “Tank of the Future” is getting rolling
April 25, 2024, 7:14 p.m
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In the end, it should be more than a tank: The “Main Ground Combat System” has drones, artificial intelligence and new types of laser weapons on board. The weapon system is intended to strengthen the Bundeswehr and the French army in the future.
The battle tank developed jointly by Germany and France is said to be “fully interoperable” and equipped with artificial intelligence. “We are jointly developing a system of the future that is geared towards what we need – from artificial intelligence and the latest sensor technology to the possibility of using the system unmanned in certain situations,” said Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in an interview with the “FAZ”.
“We are not simply developing the tank of the future, but the future of the tank,” added his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu. The need for interoperability – the interaction of different systems – came to light through the experience of the Ukraine war, he explained.
Both ministers want to sign a declaration of intent in Paris on Friday that marks the start of phase 1A. It is expected that the distribution of tasks between the defense companies involved will be described in more detail.
Blueprint from the Air Force
The experience in developing the FCAS air combat system serves as a “blueprint,” said Pistorius. At a dinner in Berlin they “cut the knot,” he added. The detailed contract should be completed at the beginning of next year.
“We started from the operational needs of the Bundeswehr and the French Army, while our predecessors sometimes took more into account the needs of industry,” added Lecornu.
The project was delayed because the companies involved disputed responsibilities and intellectual property rights to the technological developments. Ultimately, it was always about export opportunities. In the medium term, the project should also be open to other countries, such as Italy or the Netherlands. The new system was originally supposed to be ready for use in 2035, but now there is talk of 2040.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised the Franco-German agreement in principle for the joint construction of a state-of-the-art land combat system. “That’s good news,” said Stoltenberg.
“We welcome NATO allies working together to build military capacity because that will make us stronger,” Stoltenberg said. “We are generally in favor of allies working together. It will help us overcome the fragmentation of our defense industry.”