Germany, France Ink Deal To Build New Main Battle Tank

France's defense minister has received his German counterpart to ink a deal between the two countries to build a next-generation battle tank called the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), Sophia Khatsenkova reported for Euronews.

The tank will reportedly incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and have certain automated systems that will not require “human pilots.” I Photo: Hensoldt

This formal agreement kick-starts the development of the first phase of the armored vehicle, dubbed the ‘tank of the future’ – a project worth billions of euros. The new battle tank is set to replace Germany’s Leopard 2 tank and France’s Leclerc.

“It's not about making a Leopard 3 or 4, it's about designing something brand new,” emphasized Boris Pistorius, the German defense minister.

The tank will reportedly incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and have certain automated systems that will not require “human pilots,” he added.

French defense minister Sebastien Lecornu also announced the distribution of contracts for the manufacturers is expected to be finalized by the end of the year – “an ambitious goal.”

The next-generation tank is expected to be finished by 2040. Developing a next-generation tank showcases how Europe is expanding its defense industry, attempting to compete with rising military technology from countries like India and China.