France and Germany are taking a major step towards the joint development of the world’s most modern tank

French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius said in Paris on Friday that the two countries are ready to move forward on a major project to jointly develop a new tank, intended to become the mainstay of land defense of both countries, writes Reuters.

After signing a memorandum, Boris Pistorius said the goal was to have contracts for the new Franco-German tank by the end of the year, while Sebastien Lecornu said it was possible for firms such as KNDS, Rheinmetall RHMG.DE and Thales TCFP. PA to contribute to the armored future.

Pistorius admitted the project was a long way off, but welcomed the memorandum of understanding, which he said was an “important milestone”. Current plans call for the tank – currently known as the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) – to be ready in 2035-2040.

The project began in 2017, when Berlin and Paris agreed to work on a joint fighter jet under French leadership, the total cost of which is estimated at around 100 billion euros, as well as a Franco-German tank to succeed the model the German Leopard 2 and the French Leclerc.

Both projects have been plagued by disagreements and delays, further straining Franco-German ties burdened by differences over energy and foreign and security policy.

The political decision to move to the next phase is therefore important, as French and German companies have their own agendas and interests.

The development of a new generation tank is seen as vital to highlight how Europe can secure its defense autonomy, to compete with new players such as India and China, but also to position itself ahead of Russia and the United States, which still they have not revealed plans for tanks to replace their existing models.

The two ministers insisted that the project should not be seen as a new model of the Leopard 2 tank, one of the world’s most advanced combat vehicles.

“It’s not about making a Leopard 3 or 4, it’s about designing something completely new,” Pistorius emphasized.

The new tank will incorporate “state-of-the-art firepower, electronic warfare, artificial intelligence, as well as laser and directed energy weapons,” the French minister said, as quoted by RFI France.

With the joint project taking shape, Lecornu said France and Germany have a leg up on the US, which has “not yet started thinking about the future of its Abrams tank”.

Meanwhile, Russia “had some setbacks with its tank successor,” he said.