What armor to ensure the interim of Leclerc if the MGCS program were to be postponed?

These last days have probably been the most difficult concerning the Main Ground Combat System, or MGCS, program, initially intended to replace the Leclerc and Leopard 2 from 2035. Indeed, one after the other, several announcements have been made across the Rhine, leaving assume that this deadline would no longer be met. Thus, according to the Bundeswehr, the industrial obstacles facing the program today would now prohibit entry into service in 2035. A few days earlier Suzanne Weigand, the CEO of RENK, which designs and manufactures the very critical transmissions of French tanks and Germans, said in an interview that this same deadline…

Read the article

India relaunches a competition cut for a Leclerc Mk2 to replace its T-72

In 2015, New Delhi had launched a competition to replace the some 2400 T-72 combat tanks in service since the beginning of the 80s. The specifications then transmitted aimed to acquire a modern combat tank with a mass of 45 to 55 tons, armed with a 120mm gun or more, and equipped with modern sighting and communication systems. Due to the mass restriction, Western tanks such as the Leopard 2 and the Abrams were excluded, and 4 models were then considered: the Ukrainian T-84 Oplot, the South Korean K2 Black Panther, the T-14 Armata Russian…

Read the article

MGCS program: the time for bad solutions is approaching for France

Only a few weeks ago, French planning for its combat tank fleet remained anchored on the start of deliveries in 2035, targeted by the Franco-German Main Ground Combat System or MGCS program, which was to enable to replace the French Leclercs like the German Leopard 2s at this deadline. This posture was then surprising, and even worrying, since many declarations across the Rhine seemed to point to a probable slippage of the program beyond 2040, and more probably 2045. Just a month ago, the acquisition by the Bundeswehr of 18 Leopard 2A8, a new…

Read the article

Germany, France, Italy…: Should Europeans abandon their exclusively professional armies?

Following the Second World War, with the emergence of East-West confrontation and the framework entities NATO and the Warsaw Pact, the European countries on both sides relied on armies made up for the most part of conscripts doing military service. compulsory military, and supervised by professional soldiers. Certain countries, like France or Great Britain, exposed beyond the European theater, maintained exclusively professional units, more adapted to external operations as well as to the wars of decolonization. Because of its insular nature, and its military history, London abandoned compulsory conscription in 1960 to implement only armies…

Read the article

Why does the format of the French armies not correspond to the operational contract presented by the Minister for the Armed Forces?

While the Defense Commission of the National Assembly amended and validated the draft Military Programming Law 2024-2030, adding in particular the obligation for the State to guarantee the €13 billion in exceptional revenue in the financing plan, the Minister of the Armed Forces, partly overwhelmed by the many criticisms of the "lack of ambition" of this LPM which will nevertheless see, and by far, the most significant budgetary growth for the Armed Forces for 30 years, insisted on specifying what were the objectives, particularly in terms of the operational contract. This is how in a Tweet on his account, Sebastien Lecornu wanted to detail the…

Read the article

The Army wants to extend its Leclerc tanks until 2045 despite the operational and industrial risks

While the question of the modernization and extension of the heavy segment of the land armed forces is at the heart of many public debates in Europe, in France the subject was passed over in silence for many months, including during the presentation of the future Military Programming Law 2024-2030. Thus, while across the Rhine, industrialists and the military have agreed to postpone by 10 years (at least) the schedule of the Franco-German Main Ground Combat System program to replace the German Leopard 2 and French Leclerc tanks initially for 2035, no official consideration of this state of affairs had not been made, or at all…

Read the article

Can Nexter's EMBT demonstrator be included in the next Leopard 2 standard?

Only a few months ago, news dealing with battle tanks, designated by the English acronym MBT (Main Battle Tank), represented only a tiny part of defense news, in Europe as everywhere in the world. the world. The war in Ukraine and its consequences, in particular on the demand for this type of armored vehicle, have radically changed the situation, and the subject is now not only frequently dealt with, but it also meets with real interest from public opinion. The theme has also become a subject of interest for politicians, as the General Delegate for Armaments, Emmanuel Chiva, was able to observe during…

Read the article

New order for Switchblade 300 prowling ammunition for the French Armies

We can say what we want about the war in Ukraine, but there is no doubt that it will have considerably moved the lines in Europe, and in France in particular, vis-à-vis a certain programmatic conservatism and operational of the Armies. And many capability weaknesses discussed for many years by Think Tanks and in the French defense specialist press, are now being promoted to the rank of major acquisition priority by the Ministry of the Armed Forces. This is the case of anti-aircraft defense systems and in particular SHORAD (Short Range Air Defense) capabilities for land forces, electronic warfare capabilities and…

Read the article

Will France engage in the development of a long-range artillery system?

If there is one piece of equipment that has demonstrated its usefulness on the Ukrainian battlefields, it is undoubtedly long-range artillery, and more specifically rocket-launching systems such as the famous American HIMARS but also the Grad, Smerch and other Tornado S and G employed by the two belligerents. Able to strike in short time in the depth of the opponent's device, these ammunition are both precise, fast and difficult to intercept by the anti-aircraft defense. In addition, being able to be implemented, for the most advanced among them, relatively far from the line of engagement, they suffer from relatively low attrition...

Read the article

Between ambition and disappointment: the new French military programming law under constraints

After several months of official statements, more or less intentional leaks and speculation, the new French Military Programming Law was unveiled yesterday. This will frame the French defense effort between 2024 and 2030, whether it is the budget devoted by the State to the mission, but also the format objectives and the industrial programs in progress or to come. Despite a sharply increased budget with €400 billion in state credits and €13 billion in exceptional revenue over the next 7 years, i.e. 35% more than the previous LPM, this will not allow reconstruction of the French Armed Forces for…

Read the article
Meta-Defense

FREE OF CHARGE
ABOUT