German-French cooperation on tank project is shadowed by tensions over European Skyshield Initiative, among other issues
The German-French joint Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) tank project is set to continue, the two countries’ defense ministers confirmed in an interview with French daily Le Monde on Wednesday.
"We are determined to continue with the MGCS project, laying the foundation for one of the most modern tank systems in the world," Germany’s Boris Pistorius said.
His French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu confirmed the will for bilateral cooperation, adding: "With the MGCS, we’re not only concerned with succeeding the German Leopard or the French Leclerc, but of course with defining a next-generation weapon system with significant technological disruptions."
According to Pistorius, recently announced plans to jointly develop a new main battle tank with Italy and Spain are "not an alternative to the MGSC" because that is an industry project.
He pointed out that with the MGCS, it is the governments that determine the various stages. "We continue to work with the companies to define the conditions under which they participate," Pistorius said.
According to the 2035 plan, the new MGCS main battle tank will replace the French Leclerc and the German Leopard. However, similar to another joint project between the two countries, the FCAS combat aircraft, there are rivalries between the companies involved.
The differences mainly concern the intellectual property of the technology to be developed and later export possibilities. Berlin and Paris are also at odds over another European armament project, the so-called European Skyshield Initiative.
France would prefer to strengthen the European defense industry instead of buying weapons systems in the US, as envisaged by the Skyshield plan.
French President Emmanuel Macron asked at the Globsec Forum in Bratislava, Slovakia in May, "Why are we too often forced to buy from the U.S.?" to which he himself gave an answer: "Because the Americans have standardized much more than we have. And because they subsidize their industry."
According to Macron, Europe must rely more on its own industry to become sustainably independent.
Addressing the disagreement between Berlin and Paris over Skyshield, Pistorius told Le Monde that Germany is willing to "acquire non-European systems until we develop our own systems in Europe."
"It is an open project, so of course it is open to our French friends," Pistorius said.
He added: "The European defense industry, including the French, are of course important partners, but they can't provide us with everything we need."
The European Skyshield Initiative was launched at Germany's suggestion against the backdrop of the military escalation in Ukraine since Russia began the war in February 2022. The initiative aims to fill gaps in the current protective umbrella for Europe. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced it at the end of that August.
