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Paris: France Says Germany Has Quit Joint Tank Project; Berlin Denies It
France's armed forces chief told parliament Germany had dropped out of the MGCS joint tank program; Germany's defence ministry denied it, saying it only wants to "adjust" the project. The row is the latest strain in Franco-German defence cooperation after June's scrapped fighter jet plan.
Why it matters
The Franco-German Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) program to build a next-generation battle tank is in dispute: French armed forces chief Gen. Fabien Mandon told a parliamentary budget hearing on Thursday that Germany had decided to quit, while Berlin denied it on Friday. It is the latest sign of strain after the two countries scrapped a joint fighter jet project in June.
What happened
Mandon told lawmakers the outcome of the program was "not good" and that "we have to acknowledge that the Germans have withdrawn from the project." According to Le Monde, he said the two countries were "no longer dealing with purely military choices," suggesting a political decision in Berlin.
A German Defence Ministry spokesperson told Reuters the two countries had announced months ago they would "adjust" the MGCS cooperation to incorporate lessons from Russia's war in Ukraine: "This does not mean the MGCS project has failed. On the contrary: we remain committed to equal partnership in the MGCS and are focusing on future technologies for armored combat."
The French Defence Ministry later issued a statement on Mandon's behalf, saying the joint tank work had not been in vain and the program would continue with a renewed focus on connectivity, collaborative combat, automation and robotics.
Background
The MGCS program was launched in 2018 to develop a successor to France's Leclerc and Germany's Leopard 2 main battle tanks. Partners include KNDS — Europe's largest tank maker, formed from France's Nexter and Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann — plus Germany's Rheinmetall and France's Thales. In June, Berlin acquired a 40% stake in KNDS, with Paris holding another 40%.
The dispute follows the June cancellation of the Franco-German next-generation fighter jet project over industrial rivalries, putting both pillars of Europe's defence-autonomy ambitions under strain.
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