What will happen to the Franco-German MGCS program?
Italy is ready to join with Spain and Sweden with Germany to develop the successor tank to the Leopard 2. A storm in a glass of water or the definitive end of the Franco-German MGCS project? Facts and comments
Hard times for Franco-German defense cooperation.
The future of the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), a project launched by Paris and Berlin in 2017 (together with the parallel FCAS for the sixth generation fighter) is increasingly uncertain. The program is managed by Knds, a Franco-German consortium formed by the defense groups Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (Kmw, Germany) and Nexter Defense Systems (France) in cooperation with Rheinmetall.
By 2035, the Franco-German MGCS is expected to replace the Leopard 2 and Leclerc tanks, in service in the German and French armies respectively. The project risks failing due to differences between Berlin and Paris, which have never been fully resolved.
Meanwhile, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden have allied themselves to develop the successor to the Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank (“Mbt”), thus dumping France.
According to an article in the German newspaper Handelsblatt , German manufacturers Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) have created a consortium with Swedish Saab and Italian Leonardo to develop the successor to the German Leopard 2 tank, which is experiencing a resurgence in orders in Europe ( including the one recently confirmed by Rome ).
Is Berlin leaving Paris in the lurch like this?
Yet, "if the Franco-German program remains extremely complicated to launch – that's a euphemism -, writing the epitaph of the MGCS is still too early, even if some in Germany (including in France) want the end of this project", he maintains the French newspaper La Tribune .
All the details.
ITALIAN INTEREST IN THE MGCS PROGRAM
From the beginning, both Italy and Poland repeatedly asked to join the MGCS program, but Paris and Berlin wanted to keep the project exclusively bilateral until the development of a prototype. But the Franco-German cooperation broke down and the project remained stuck in the architectural study phase, regularly extended for several months. Meanwhile, Sweden and Italy have joined the MGCS program as observers, first Stockholm in 2021, then Rome last year .
But instead of including these new partners in the original Mgcs project, Germany now seems to have preferred to start a new project with Italy and Sweden together with Spain, putting France aside.
Not forgetting that last July, Italian Defense Undersecretary Isabella Rauti announced that a planned purchase of Leopard 2 A8 tanks would keep Rome in play for a role in the MGCS program, helping Italy become more closely involved with German industry .
GERMANY WORKING ON A NEW TANK OF THE FUTURE WITH ITALY, SPAIN AND SWEDEN
Meanwhile, EU officials have confirmed the project for the new tank, in which Leonardo and the Swedish defense group Saab would participate with Kmw and Rheinmetall.
The four companies hope to obtain funds from the EDF, which has a total budget of eight billion euros, of which 5.3 are available for the promotion of joint armaments projects in the EU. The grants aim to help rationalize Europe's fragmented defense sector and develop military capabilities "fundamental for strategic autonomy and resilience", both of the EU and member states.
AN END TO THE MGCS PROGRAM?
According to La Tribune , “The MBT project, lasting two years, must be used to develop technological elements to benefit, among other things, the MGCS and not to replace it. At least for now. In two years there will be new dances.”
“The Future Main Battle Tank (FMBT) project is a European program whose industrial assembly is still open. For this purpose, an industrial consortium open to all nations was established. Knds is a member of this consortium. Rheinmetall and KNDS are partners in the MGCS and FMBT programs,” a spokesperson for the KNDS group reminded the French newspaper.
IN VIEW OF THE MEETING BETWEEN PISTORIUS AND LECORNU
Certainly, the Handelsblatt article published a few days before a crucial meeting between the defense ministers of Germany and France, Boris Pistorius and Sebastien Lecornu, (September 22), observes La Tribune , could "destabilize a program already underway on the verge of collapse and unleash anti-German resentment in France and anti-French resentment in Germany.”
In fact, last July 10, when the two Defense Ministers met in Berlin to discuss the "further phases" of the Main Land Combat System (MGCS), they had also agreed on a new meeting at the end of September on this program.
THE ANALYSIS OF BANCA AKROS
“The news from the Handelsblatt confirms the increasingly close relationship between Italy and Germany in the defense field and the progressive weakening of ties between Germany and France”, commented Banca Akros last week, quoted by MF .
According to the Banca Akros report “this is interesting because Germany has a strong position in the land systems sector, but lacks a strong presence in the aeronautics/electronics sector”.
THE EFFECTS FOR LEONARDO
In this scenario, “Leonardo is unique in its positioning to take advantage of the convergence between Italy and Germany, in fact it could benefit from significant industrial counterparts in the electronics sector, M345/346 trainer jets, AW189/AW249/AW101 helicopters and systems light terrestrials, like the Centaur", remarks Banca Akros.
THE COMMENT OF PIETRO BATACCHI, DIRECTOR OF RID
“The initiative [MBT ed.] is very important on a strategic level because it signals the ever-increasing difficulties on the front of the Franco-German axis hinged on the military level, on the one hand, on the program for the new Sixth Generation Scaf fighter and, on the other 'more, on the program for the new Mgcs tank” observed director Pietro Batacchi on Rid .
“Germany, therefore, sends a rather precise signal to France precisely regarding the tank of the future by uniting with Italy, with which, moreover, the LEOPARD 2 A8 order is being defined and a more general "reflection" which could have further repercussions on the AICS program as well" concluded Batacchi.
THE COMMENT OF THE ANALYST AURELIO GIANSIRACUSA, ARES DEFESA
“The decision to enter into this project [Mbt] is the result of the uncertainties which, despite the words of the Franco-German leaders, continue to grip the near future of the Mgcs initiative, in which Rome has always shown an interest which has not been reciprocated”, military analyst Aurelio Giansiracusa of Ares Difesa explains to Startmag .
“The upcoming finalization of the Leopard 2A8 contract by the Italian side can be seen – continues the Ares Difesa expert – as a sort of prodromal preparation for the Italian Army and for the industry for participation in the program, considering that our country is the only one of the four not to have any version of the Leopard 2 supplied. The Leopard 2A8 should be the gap fillers alongside the ninety Ariete C1 AMV and this move should allow the Army to be able to manage the transition with the new tank" .
Therefore, "it will be interesting to know the number of Leopard 2A8s that will be ordered, expected times and the role of the national industry to understand, as previously mentioned, the extent of our participation in the program for the successor to the Leopard 2", concludes Giansiracusa.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/smartcity/che-ne-sara-del-programma-mgcs-franco-tedesco/ on Mon, 18 Sep 2023 05:49:23 +0000.