Germany and France Begin Development of New Main Battle Tank

Reference News Network, June 28 report According to the Spanish newspaper "ABC" website on June 23, as the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) European fighter project fails, France and Germany are jointly working on the manufacture of a new main battle tank, but Spain is not participating this time.

In the original fighter project, Spain held a 33% share, while in the new tank project, Germany and France will each hold 40% shares.

To this end, the German government has confirmed that it is acquiring corresponding shares in KNDS Defense Systems Company. The company was formed in 2015 through the merger of two enterprises and currently employs 11,000 people, making it one of the main suppliers to the German armed forces. Thanks to this tank project, the company will become one of the leading arms manufacturers in Europe.

According to KNDS CEO Jean-Paul Alary, the agreement between France and Germany highlights the "strategic importance of KNDS to European defense capabilities, industrial base, and technological sovereignty."

The new CAPINT medium tank will be an upgraded version of the "Leopard"-2 main battle tank and the "Leclerc" main battle tank, integrating a drone swarm, unmanned turret, and a 120mm cannon equipped with a 22-round autoloader, forming a "system of systems" for ground combat, along with sensor platforms and missile defense systems. Additionally, the tank is equipped with an ARX30 remote-controlled weapon station capable of launching airburst munitions and taking down enemy drones.

According to the German Ministry of Defense, armored vehicles are a key technology. KNDS currently provides various ground armored systems to the German Army and is the "backbone of the armored and protection forces of the German armed forces."

KNDS had a total sales revenue of 4.4 billion euros last year, with an unfulfilled order total of 33.1 billion euros, of which about two-thirds comes from Germany. (Translated by Liu Lifen)