Franco-German company formed to develop and build new Main Ground Combat System
A new company has been formed to lead the development of MGCS. (Image: KNDS)
The Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) is a Franco-German armament programme designed to replace the Leopard 2 and Leclerc main battle tanks with a cross-platform combat system by 2040.
Germany’s KNDS Deutschland and Rheinmetall Land Systems and France’s KNDS France and Thales have signed an agreement to form the MGCS Project Company.
The deal sees the company equally owned by the four companies and the two countries sharing equally in the workshare. The new entity will be based in Cologne, Germany.
In a statement it was noted that “the project company will be responsible as prime contractor for the implementation of the next phase of the MGCS programme.
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“In particular, it will consolidate the concept and the main technological pillars of the system.”
The latest step is an important one in the trans-European development of this class of platform which is less usual than that for aircraft, notably the Eurofighter Typhoon and Airbus A400M, and naval vessels.
It follows French and German governments signing of a Letter of Intent for the programme in April last year.
The MGCS programme will be divided into eight pillars: chassis and automated navigation; cannon, turret and ammunition; C4; simulation environment; sensor technology; protection and uncrewed vehicle defence; secondary armament; and support, logistics and infrastructure.
The design of MGCS has been undertaking the process of being finalised but it will likely be armed with a Nexter 140mm or Rheinmetall 130mm smoothbore gun fed by an automatic loader which will allow the crew of three to be seated in the protected hull.
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