Archive · 9 Oct 2026
Berlin Rejects French Claim Germany Quit Joint Tank Project
Germany and France are working together on a future tank called the MGCS.
It is meant to replace two tanks the countries use today.
A French military leader said Germany had decided to leave the project.
Germany said that was not true and that it still wanted to work with France as an equal partner.
Germany said the countries were changing their plans after lessons from Russia’s war against Ukraine.
France also said the tank project was continuing.
The countries want the work to focus more on connecting vehicles, working together in combat, automation and robotics.
Their disagreement comes after they ended a separate joint fighter-jet project in June.
Germany rejected French armed forces chief Fabien Mandon’s claim that Berlin had decided to leave the joint tank project.
The Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) is intended to succeed Germany’s Leopard 2 and France’s Leclerc tanks.
Germany said the countries had agreed to adjust the programme and that it remained committed to an equal partnership.
France’s Defence Ministry said the programme was continuing, with renewed focus on connectivity, collaborative combat, automation and robotics.
The dispute adds to strains in defence cooperation after Germany and France scrapped a joint next-generation fighter project in June.
- Who
- The German and French governments; Germany’s Defence Ministry and French armed forces chief Fabien Mandon commented on the project.
- What
- Germany rejected the claim that it had decided to leave the joint Main Ground Combat System tank project.
- When
- The comments were reported on Friday, October 9; Mandon made his remarks on Thursday.
- Where
- Berlin and Paris; the project is a Franco-German defence programme.
- Why
- The countries are adjusting their cooperation after lessons from Russia’s war against Ukraine; the article does not give a definitive reason for Mandon’s claim.
French military chief’s claim
German and French ministries’ position
Whether Germany is leaving
French military chief’s claim
Fabien Mandon said Germany had decided to drop out of the project.
German and French ministries’ position
Germany rejected that claim, saying it remained committed to an equal partnership; France’s Defence Ministry also said the programme was continuing.
Assessment of the programme
French military chief’s claim
Mandon described the result of the joint programme as “not good.”
German and French ministries’ position
Germany said the project had not failed and that cooperation was being adjusted, while France said the work had not been in vain.
- Project
- Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), a joint Franco-German tank programme
- Agreement
- Germany and France agreed to work on the project in 2017
- Intended replacements
- Germany’s Leopard 2 and France’s Leclerc
- Germany’s position
- Berlin said it remained committed to an equal partnership and that the project had not failed
- France’s position
- The French Defence Ministry said the programme was continuing
- Renewed focus
- Connectivity, collaborative combat, automation and robotics
- Related setback
- Germany and France scrapped a joint next-generation fighter-jet project in June
- Companies named
- KNDS, Rheinmetall and Thales are involved; KNDS was formed between France’s Nexter and Germany’s Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann