After the FCAS, France and Germany are also revitalizing the tank of the future MGCS

25 November 20221 year ago babelfish

According to the French newspaper La Tribune, the German Rheinmetall and the French Nexter have reached an industrial agreement on the European tank of the future MGCS. Thus the Franco-German program promoted by Nexter with Rheinmetall and KMW is advancing, which Rheinmetall has proposed to open up to Italian industry

The MGCS (Main Ground Combat System) dossier, a Franco-German project for the European tank of the future, is finally restarted.

This was revealed by the French newspaper La Tribune , according to which the French Nexter and the German Rheinmetall have reached an agreement on the industrial division.

Franco-German cooperation in the field of defense has struggled to materialize on the two major projects FCAS and MGCS, both launched in 2017. The first is the French-led FCAS (Future Air Combat System) programme. Just last November 18, Paris, Berlin and Madrid reached an agreement on the launch of the next phase (1B) of the development of the FCAS, a parallel project for a European sixth generation fighter.

The other is precisely the program for the new European tank known as the German-led MGCS, which should enter service around 2035, which has remained mired in the rivalry between the Franco-German Knds – a joint venture that combines the German KMW and Nexter – and the German Rheinmetall.

“Although the discussions have only recently resumed, they have been able to quickly lead, not to definitive decisions, but rather to compromises that allow us to go ahead and possibly sign a contract relating to the technological studies of a future demonstrator (or rather MTD or Demonstrators Principal Technicians) such as phase 1B of the FCAS ”, explain sources quoted by La Tribune.

This agreement, which must be signed by December 31st, will make it possible to relaunch the program hitherto on standby, highlights the French newspaper.

“Apart from the good news for this program that has been on hold for several weeks, this progress will indirectly benefit the FCAS, the Bundestag which is asking for parallelism between the two European programs so that it can give its consent to the start of the subsequent phases” adds La Tribune.

All the details.

THE FRANCO-GERMAN PROGRAM MGCS

German-led, MGCS is one of two defense partnerships between France and Germany, which aims to replace France's Leclercs and Germany's Leopard 2s by 2035. The second program is the Future Combat Air System ( FCAS ), led by France, which Spain has also joined.

The program for the European tank of the future is the result of the cooperation between Knds – a joint venture between the German Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and the French Nexter Systems – and the German Rheinmetall.

Currently, the program has completed the first two phases and France and Germany have so far allocated identical budgets to cover the initial studies.

THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN NEXTER AND RHEINMETALL

As La Tribune explains, Nexter and Rheinmetall are competing head-to-head on four of the 13 MTDs. “For the moment they have circumvented the difficulty by finding a global agreement. They are creating four ad hoc structures, which can be likened to a German version of a temporary grouping of companies, where the two manufacturers will be on an equal (50/50) basis. On the other hand, they have not designated leadership over the four MTDs, while claiming both”.

It will therefore be up to Paris and Berlin to have the last word.

SWEDEN AND ITALY OBSERVERS OF THE PROGRAM

Right from the start, both Italy and Poland repeatedly asked to join the MGCS programme, but Paris and Berlin wanted to keep the project exclusively bilateral until a prototype was developed.

But Franco-German cooperation cracked and the project got stuck in the architectural study phase, which was regularly extended for several months. Meanwhile, Sweden and Italy have joined the MGCS program as observers, first Stockholm in 2021, then Rome this year .

THE BENEFITS OF AN ITALIAN PARTICIPATION IN THE MGCS

And for Italy, participation in the Franco-German tank project would translate into collaboration with Leonardo, the Italian defense and aerospace giant.

In this regard, Leonardo's entry into the MGCS program is closely linked to the future of the subsidiaries Oto Melara and Wass, which the group intends to sell .

According to the American think tank Cepa, “at an industrial level, Italy can offer technological capabilities to strengthen the next European tank. The possible entry of Oto Melara and Wass into the project, supplying sensors and electronics, could bring Italian expertise directly into the project, also giving Italy a voice in the development phase. It would benefit both Italy and Europe in two ways”. Firstly, the analysts of the American study center underline, “Italy's entry into the project with the Cio (the consortium between Leonardo with Oto Melara and Iveco Defense Vehicles) would benefit from decades of experience in the development of land vehicles. Secondly, it further strengthens the European character of the project by adding Italy as another political and industrial contribution”.

It would also, like all multinational projects, spread the development costs, estimated at $1.8 billion through 2028.

KNDS OFFER FOR SUBSIDIARIES OTO MELARA AND WASS DI LEONARDO

Without forgetting that the Franco-German giant Knds has made an offer for Oto Melara, the land-based armaments subsidiary put up for sale by Leonardo together with the other Wass unit. ( Here Startmag 's insight into Oto Melara, Wass and more. All the possible synergies between Italy and Germany).

For Il Sole 24 Ore , "an integration of Oto Melara and Wass with Knds would go precisely in the direction of creating that large integrated European group to which we have referred, a leader in weapon systems and with a strong industrial, technological and corporate presence in the three major markets (Italian, French and German). A pole that would, among other things, have the ability to meet the requirements for the construction of the new land vehicles of the Italian army and, at the same time, to lead the program of the new European tank".

RHEINMETALL'S PROPOSAL FOR OTO

But Rheinmetall is also targeting Oto Melara and Wass .

The German defense group Rheinmetall wants to invest in Italy by buying up to 49% of Oto Melara. At the end of May, the company led by Armin Papperger presented a non-binding offer to Leonardo worth between 190 and 210 million euros for the former Oto. Rheinmetall proposes itself as a strategic partner of our country in the land sector. In this way, the Italian-German axis on defense would be strengthened, which started precisely with the acquisition of 25.1% of Hensoldt, a German defense electronics company, by Leonardo.

As emerges from the proposal sent to Leonardo – which Startmag has read – the growth strategy for Oto Melara would be identified in the future land programs for infantry. The vision of the German company has as its objective the creation of a national center of excellence in the land sector, led and managed by Oto Melara itself, which will immediately have to focus on the program for the new Infantry Fighting Vehicle and on the future European tank Mbt indeed. On the sale of Oto, however, the last word belongs to the government, which controls Leonardo (30% through the MEF). News is expected in the next few weeks.

This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/dopo-il-fcas-francia-e-germania-rivitalizzano-anche-il-carro-armato-del-futuro-mgcs/ on Fri, 25 Nov 2022 14:50:12 +0000.