PARIS (dpa-AFX) : Defense contractor KNDS has unveiled a new main battle tank designed to succeed France's Leclerc fleet, potentially filling the gap before the joint Franco-German MGCS tank project reaches fruition. The Capint tank is a French-led initiative aimed at bolstering the French Army's armored capabilities while paving the way for the MGCS program, KNDS announced during the vehicle's debut at the Eurosatory defense exhibition near Paris.

Following the collapse of the planned Franco-German FCAS fighter jet program, concerns have mounted that the MGCS (Main Ground Combat System) joint tank project could face a similar fate. The MGCS initiative is designed to replace the Leopard 2 and Leclerc tanks by 2040 with a comprehensive, multi-platform ground combat system.

France Requires Interim Solution

French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin justified the pursuit of an interim solution by citing delays in the MGCS timeline. "The tank of the future has been delayed by ten years. We cannot wait that long," Vautrin told the newspaper Les Échos. Work is currently underway on an intermediate model. "It will be a newly designed tank featuring high levels of connectivity. This work is enshrined in and funded by the Military Programming Law."

KNDS was formed through the merger of German tank manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and the state-owned French firm Nexter.

As a bridge until the MGCS launch, German partners Rheinmetall and KNDS Deutschland have also initiated the development of a new main battle tank, unofficially dubbed the "Leopard 3" by the military trade press./evs/DP/men