Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden are teaming up to create Europe's next-generation tank to replace the Leopard 2

By: Maksim Panasovskiy | 07.09.2023, 12:32
Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden are teaming up to create Europe's next-generation tank to replace the Leopard 2

It seems that Germany has decided to compete with itself. The European country is involved in two projects to develop a new European tank.

Here's What We Know

Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden are preparing to start the development of the European tank of the next generation. This is reported by the German edition of Handelsblatt. German defence companies Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KWM) will take part in the project.

The European tank of the next generation will be a replacement for the German Leopard 2. Details of the programme have not yet been specified.

What is interesting in this story is that Germany is involved in another project to develop a European tank. Franco-German holding KNDS (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Nexter) is leading a programme called Main Gun Combat Systems (MGCS). It may also be joined by Italy.

The tank created under the MGCS programme was supposed to be the replacement for the Leopard 2 and Leclerc in 2035. However, Handelsblatt writes that the Franco-German programme, which was launched in 2017, will most likely not be implemented.

Source: Handelsblatt