France details Leclerc tank upgrade

6th July 2021 - 10:00 GMT | by Tim Fish in Auckland

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The Leclerc MBT was first introduced into service in 1993, the MLU will extend its service life until 2040 (Nexter)

As European armies embark on upgrades to their heavy armoured forces, France finally initiates its Leclerc tank upgrade programme that has been planned for the past six years.

The French Army is set to receive 200 upgraded Leclerc Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) to the XLR standard under a contract with Nexter.

According to the DGA procurement agency, the contract for an MLU was signed on 1 June 2021 that also included the modernisation of 18 Leclerc Dépanneurs Char Lourd (DCL) armoured recovery vehicles.

A previous MLU contract, worth €330 million ($339.13 million), was signed with Nexter in March 2015 for the development, qualification and industrial preparation for the refurbishment of the MBTs.

This latest MLU deal allows Nexter to proceed with the upgrade of the first batch of 50 tanks, …

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