As of: February 3, 2024, 6:28 a.m
By: Felix Busjaeger
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A Leopard 2 tank on the training area in Augustdorf near Bielefeld in February 2023.
The successor based on MGCS should be even more powerful (symbolic image).
© IMAGO/David Inderlied/Kirchner Media
MGCS is intended to replace the Leopard-2 in the future.
The project was on the brink, now there are new developments.
It is unlikely that the tank will be deployed in the near future.
Berlin/Paris - It is considered the European answer to other super tanks of this time: The Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) is an ambitious German-French armaments project and was probably on the verge of failure in 2023.
Now there is a new draft that shows possible application scenarios for the rumored Leopard successor.
The future tank does not appear as a single vehicle, but as part of a group whose vehicles share the same platform.
The tank based on the MGCS concept boasts a low combat weight and high mobility - this could give it a significant advantage in future combat missions.
Leopard 2 successor in development: German tanks are not a silver bullet in the Ukraine war
There are many tanks of different types in the armies.
They perform a wide variety of tasks on tracks or wheels.
What they usually have in common is that each vehicle is armored, i.e. more or less well protected by its outer shell from the effects of enemy hits.
While transport tanks bring more logistical advantages, powerful main battle tanks represent the important backbone of ground operations in conflicts.
The war in Ukraine shows once again how crucial battle tanks are, although advanced technologies and combat drones can regularly make them easy prey for the enemy.
At that time, the Ukrainian defenders had high hopes for a turnaround in the Ukrainian war in the German Leopard 2 tank.
Among other things, because the battle tank represents a combination of strong armor, high mobility and superior firepower thanks to a large-caliber cannon.
But it is now clear that the Leopard tank is not indestructible in the Ukraine war.
MGCS tank is intended to replace Leopard – and be the European answer to Russia’s tanks
The possible Leopard successor MGCS is now intended, among other things, as an answer to Putin's T-14 Armata super tank.
The main battle tank from Russia has been in development since 2010 and is gradually replacing the well-known T-90 tank.
However, in the Ukraine war, Vladimir Putin's supposed miracle tank quickly turned out to be a problem child.
Although the Kremlin's propaganda apparatus tried to emphasize the system's superior technology and efficiency, failures continued to occur and experts even questioned whether the T-14 even took part in combat operations.
In the shadow of the Ukraine war and the T-14 problems, things had recently become quieter around the European MGCS project.
After there was also a possible end for the Leopard successor, the future tank was further developed and a basic concept was now presented at the “International Armored Vehicles 2024” trade fair.
As
ESUT
and
Defense Industry
report, the MGCS land combat system boasts a few special features.
Heavy armament for the Leopard successor: the tank will probably receive a 130 mm cannon
Colonel Armin Dirks, operations manager of the MGCS joint project team in the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), informed about the progress and emphasized the focus on the above-average mobility of the possible Leopard successor.
It is expected that the future combat platform will have a weight limit of less than 50 tons.
This would make him significantly lighter than his potential opponents.
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MGCS as Europe's tank of the future - and answer to Russia's T-14 tank
Leopard-2 and Leclerc – the two tanks have been part of the tank inventory of the armies in Germany and France for decades.
However, the platforms are now up to 50 years old.
In 2012, both countries decided to launch a joint initiative that could lead the way for a joint program to design and develop a new Main Ground Combat System (MGCS).
The original target was to introduce the system in 2035. MGCS is primarily a network of vehicles consisting of manned and unmanned vehicles.
A “team” of vehicles is intended to significantly increase the overall effectiveness of the system and at the same time improve personnel protection.
According to
Defense Industry,
the armament could possibly include the Rheinmetall caliber 130 mm L/52 or the Nexter ASCALON caliber 140 mm.
This would mean that the MGCS-based tank would outperform the Leopard-2.
This was equipped with a 120 mm cannon as standard.
Leopard 2 tank is to be replaced by MGCS tank: successor with advanced technology
As
Stern
writes, the significant weight reduction to less than 50 tons is a departure from previous tank construction in the West.
The current versions of Leopard, Abrams and Challenger currently reach a weight of up to 65 tons.
Apparently, this step is a result of the combat experience in the Ukraine War: As it is said, the Leopard 2 tanks in the Ukraine War struggled with excessive wear and tear and effects on combat mobility due to their weight.
The Leopard successor should also be compact, modular and easy to modify based on the MGCS platform.
The future vision includes, among other things, advanced communication systems and AI support for the crew.
With the improved weaponry, the system is intended to increase combat efficiency.
In addition to the main tank, a manned tank is also planned that will be equipped with missile systems.
Another version of the Leopard successor is an unmanned tank equipped with indirect fire weapons, probably also anti-tank missiles.
The possible tank group should also receive support through drone surveillance.
The successor to Leopard-2 will be the tank of the future: schedule unclear
All three vehicles based on the MGCS platform are designed together to complement each other and respond dynamically to battlefield requirements.
However, it is more than unlikely that the successor to the Leopard tank will be ready for use in the near future.
Recent delays are currently causing the planned date in 2035 to shake.
The reason could be that Italy wants to get involved in the tank project.
According to Dirks, however, the MGCS tank should be used until the end of the 21st century - at least in theory.
(fbu)