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9 August 2024

Europe’s heavy-metal options

Yurri Clavilier

As it now appears that it will be at least two decades before the Franco-German Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) is ready for service, European heavy-armour manufacturers are refining multiple offers to fill the gap. While the target date for the first delivery of the MGCS family was by 2040, this date is now trending toward the middle of the decade, if not beyond.

Europe’s two main heavy-armour manufacturers, Rheinmetall and KNDS, are touting at least five approaches in providing improved Main Battle Tank (MBT) designs, taking on board the lessons of recent and ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has starkly displayed both the utility and vulnerability of heavy armour, and MBT designers are looking to absorb lessons that Moscow’s aggression continues to offer.

Crewed and otherwise

Rheinmetall continues to work on two variants of its KF51 Panther design, while KNDS is pursuing the Leopard 2A-RC 3.0, the Leclerc Evolution (EVO) and the more advanced Euro Main Battle Tank (EMBT)-ADT 140. Of the five designs, three feature uncrewed turrets. All five were on show at the June 2024 Eurosatory land-systems exhibition, suggesting that any notions of the demise of heavy armour are ill-placed.

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