We could have thought which the Franco-German KNDS group only considered the EMBT tank as a technological demonstrator, with the new Leopard 2A8, and the future, but always mysterious, Leopard 2AX also proposed to Italy. However, it is indeed EMBT, and not Leopard 2A8, which is highlighted by the group in Egypt, on the occasion of the EDEX 2023 exhibition.
In this section:
The EMBT tank presented at the EDEX 2023 exhibition as an alternative for the Egyptian Army
In a press release published on December 4, KNDS presents, in fact, the different equipment which is presented at the EDEX exhibition, which is held from December 4 to 7 in Cairo. Beyond the CAESAR, VBCI MkII T40 and other ARX30 turrets, the group places emphasis, in this press release, on the EMBT tank, presented explicitly as an alternative for the Egyptian armed forces.
As such, the EMBT is no longer presented, as was the case during the Eurosatory 2022 show, as a technological demonstrator more or less part of the MGCS program, but as a 4th generation tank with specific attributes, such as a 22-round automatic loader for its 120 mm cannon, a 7-wheel chassis, as well as a 1500 hp engine.
It is also presented as an alternative to equip the Egyptian armies, therefore as a prototype paving the way for industrial production, highlighting its ARX30 turret which can provide anti-drone protection with a new airburst ammunition soon available, a system Hard Kill active protection (undefined), and above all, the real innovation of this model, a fourth crew member having the function of systems operator.
The Egyptian armed forces, a strategic market in the crosshairs of K2 Black Panther South Korean
It must be said that the Egyptian armies represent a strategic market in the field of battle tanks. These field, in fact, more than 5 heavy and medium tanks, including 000 M1A300 Abrams, 1 T-1s and 500 T-62s, as well as more than 800 M55 Pattons. In fact, the potential for modernization is considerable, with no less than 2 tanks obsolete and in need of replacement to date (M700, T-60, T-4).
This market is all the more attractive as tensions in the Middle East encourage these countries to increase their investments in the field of land weapons, after having produced, in past years, significant efforts in the air and naval fields.
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