France turns to interim tank program as MGCS falls behind schedule

Franco-German defence group KNDS unveiled a new main battle tank, positioning it as a temporary replacement for France’s aging Leclerc fleet as uncertainty continues to surround the future of the long-delayed Franco-German Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) program, Reuters reports.

The launch of the CAPINT tank, short for "intermediary capability," took place at the Eurosatory defence exhibition near Paris. The unveiling comes as European governments accelerate efforts to strengthen military capabilities in response to growing security concerns linked to Russia and amid increasing doubts about long-term US defence commitments under President Donald Trump.

KNDS said the CAPINT combines a chassis produced by its German division with a tank gun manufactured by its French division. According to the company, the vehicle is intended to bolster the French Army’s armored capabilities while serving as a bridge to the next-generation MGCS platform.

The MGCS project, launched in 2017, is designed to replace both Germany’s Leopard 2 and France’s Leclerc main battle tanks, with entry into service originally targeted between 2040 and 2045. France’s Leclerc fleet is scheduled to be retired by 2038.

In April, French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin told parliament that Paris had decided to pursue an "intermediate" tank program to offset delays affecting the MGCS initiative, which she said was running approximately a decade behind schedule.

Questions about the future of the joint tank project have intensified in recent days. Over the weekend, the chief executive of German defence company Rheinmetall, one of the MGCS stakeholders, reportedly said France was considering significant reductions in funding for the program. A French government source, however, emphasized that the project remains strategically important for both France and Germany, as well as for KNDS.

Fresh uncertainty emerged on June 15 when a German government spokesperson suggested that future cooperation under MGCS could focus on "platform-independent" technologies, adding that it remained unclear whether a jointly developed tank would ultimately be built.

Speaking to reporters at Eurosatory, KNDS Chief Executive Jean-Paul Alary declined to comment on the political status of the MGCS project but warned of the potential consequences of its collapse.

"It would be very bad news" for Europe if the program were to fall apart, he said.

Germany has already begun pursuing parallel armored vehicle plans. In 2025, Berlin launched work on an interim tank project known as the Leopard 2AX, or Leopard 3, being developed jointly by KNDS Germany and Rheinmetall as a successor to the Leopard 2 fleet.

The unveiling of CAPINT follows another setback for Franco-German defence cooperation. Last week, France and Germany abandoned their joint Future Combat Air System (FCAS) fighter jet program after months of disagreements between Airbus and Dassault Aviation.

Meanwhile, KNDS is preparing for a dual listing on the Frankfurt and Paris stock exchanges later this year. Asked about the timetable for the initial public offering, Alary said the preferred outcome would be "as soon as we can."

German newspaper Handelsblatt reported on Monday that Paris and Berlin had reached an agreement after the German government sought safeguards ahead of the IPO to prevent sensitive defence expertise from leaving Germany. The German Chancellery did not immediately comment on the report.

According to Handelsblatt, KNDS Chairman Tom Enders cautioned against a growing trend toward national protectionism, warning that it could undermine broader European defence cooperation efforts.

By Vafa Guliyeva