What does Germany’s new tank joint venture mean for MGCS?
The MGCS concept includes MBTs but the programme may be under threat with Europe look at an alternative tank. (Image: Hensoldt)
Germany is Europe’s leading country for tank manufacture and until this month was committed to the Franco-German Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) which included tanks and other vehicles. Earlier this month, Germany and other European countries set up the Main ARmoured Tank of Europe (MARTE) project casting a shadow over the MGCS.
The recent announcement of the formation of the MARTE, a joint venture headed by Germany’s Rheinmetall Landsysteme and KNDS Deutschland, raises a significant number of questions on future Main Battle Tank (MBT) development in Europe.
Both of these German contractors are already engaged in the larger and more complex MGCS, a Franco-German project to develop a new MBT to replace the currently deployed French Leclerc and the German Leopard 2 MBTs. It also includes other armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs), tracked and wheeled.
It is not the first effort by the two countries to jointly create a tank. KNDS presented
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