European defense cooperation is facing another setback. After the German-French FCAS fighter program collapsed, the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) project, intended to develop a new tank for both countries, has also run into serious trouble.
According to a report from the Polish daily „Dziennik Gazeta Prawna,” which cites the final document of the 26th session of the Franco-German Defense and Security Council, there is no mention of a joint tank. The document merely states that both sides will „examine a system approach as an integral part of future multidomain operations.”
Germany and France signed the agreement to create the MGCS on April 26, 2024. At the time, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called it a historic moment.
A promise of a new generation
The MGCS (Main Ground Combat System) was designed to replace the Leopard 2 tanks used by the German army and the Leclerc tanks used by France. By 2035, it was supposed to bring both armies into a new era of armored warfare. The program was launched in 2017, five years before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but has since been hampered by conflicting industrial interests and national rivalries.
– This is more than a breakthrough, this is a historic moment – said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in March 2024.
National interests versus European cooperation
The project stalled largely due to disputes between Paris and Berlin over production shares, technology transfer, and strategic priorities. Each country’s defense industry pushed for its own solutions, making compromise elusive. The lack of progress became evident in recent official documents, where the tank itself was no longer mentioned.
France and Germany also failed to agree on a joint fighter jet. In June, it was announced that the FCAS (Future Combat Air System) project, which was to replace the Eurofighter and Rafale from 2040, was abandoned due to irreconcilable differences between Dassault and Airbus. The estimated cost of that program exceeded 100 billion euros.
A pattern of failed projects
The MGCS is not an isolated case. The FCAS failure, along with other stalled joint ventures, raises questions about the viability of large-scale European defense collaboration. Political will appears insufficient to overcome entrenched national industrial interests. For Poland and other NATO allies watching these developments, the implications are clear: Europe’s ability to independently develop next-generation weapons systems remains questionable.
With both MGCS and FCAS shelved, the gap between European ambitions and capabilities widens. The need for a new approach, perhaps with more realistic burden-sharing and clearer leadership, has never been more urgent.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Shutterstock
