The countries are also working on developing a new FCAS fighter.

France and Germany have signed a “breakthrough” agreement to develop a new generation European tank, the MGCS, which will replace the Leopard 2 and Leclerc. Reuters writes about this.

“This is more than a milestone, this is a historic moment,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stressed during a speech alongside his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu.

The publication notes that the tank, which is supposed to replace the aging German Leopard and French Leclerc, is the second largest defense industry project between the countries, along with their plans to create a next-generation fighter called FCAS.

Pistorius said the agreement, which was signed on Friday, included an agreement to equally share industrial output between the two countries. He added that the official document on the start of the first stage of development will be signed in Paris on April 26.

In turn, French Minister Lecornu noted that the FCAS fighter program had also made “significant progress,” but did not provide more details about the state of development of the aircraft.

What is known about the MGCS project

According to the publication “Military”, MGCS (Main Ground Combat System) is a project that Germany and France launched in 2017. It aims to replace their current Leopard 2 and Leclerc main battle tanks.

During this program, a universal platform should be developed, on the basis of which other machines will also be created. Among them are proto-concepts of an artillery mount and a heavy armored personnel carrier.

Once the project began, it experienced a crisis due to many significant disagreements between the two governments regarding views on the distribution of production and the vision of the new machine. It is known that the tank is now being created by the Franco-German concern KNDS (KMW and Nexter Systems) and the German company Rheinmetall.

“Each party is leading the development of a third of the program, each with a guarantee that Nexter will produce 50% of the developed systems, and two German companies will produce the remaining 50%. The first combat vehicle developed under the project is expected to roll off the production line in 2035,” – added in the publication.

Weapons production in Ukraine: latest news

As wrote, the Franco-German manufacturer of military equipment KNDS for the production of ammunition and spare parts for Western equipment will open a division in Ukraine. KNDS must create a subsidiary that will be as close as possible to the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

“We, France and Germany, want to help Ukraine make its ammunition production more self-sufficient,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius noted at the time.

At the same time, The Washington Post reported that Ukraine is now increasing its weapons production. According to the publication, before the full-scale invasion, almost no weapons were produced in the country, but now the industry is thriving.

“The factories produce mortar shells, military equipment, missiles and other weapons critical to the war effort. Production tripled in 2023 and is expected to increase sixfold this year,” the article noted.