A number of foreign tanks of the latest models are quite old. The newest models appeared in the eighties, and since then they have only been modernized. The creation of a completely new combat vehicle is associated with well-known difficulties, and not all countries can develop such a project on their own. In this regard, they have to combine efforts and organize joint work of a number of organizations. The result of a new attempt to create a joint project should be a promising tank, so far known as the Main Ground Combat System.
Currently, the armored forces of Germany are being built on the basis of several modifications of the Leopard 2 tanks. The French Army has the main Leclerc tanks. The first modifications of these machines appeared in the seventies and eighties, respectively, and later this equipment was regularly modernized. Attempts to develop completely new tanks were not made due to the lack of the need and the necessary funding.
The appearance of the MGCS tank, proposed in 2016.
However, over time, the situation has changed. In 2012, there was a proposal to create a joint French-German project of a promising tank that meets modern requirements and is able to remain in service in the distant future. At the same time, a cooperation agreement appeared, signed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (Germany) and Nexter Defense Systems (France). In the coming years, these organizations planned to work out the appearance of a new "international" tank, and then start designing.
It should be recalled that the agreement on the creation of a joint tank was signed against the background of reports on the development of a promising Russian project. At that time, Russia was engaged in the development of a universal platform "Armata" and a tank based on it, which later became known as the T-14. There was no exact information about the future Russian tank at that time, but it was obvious that its characteristics would be superior to the Leopard-2 and Leclerc. Thus, the European countries had to find a worthy response to the potential threat in the form of the T-14.
The next few years, specialists from the two countries spent on various research and study of the future of ground armored vehicles. A new step in the creation of a common tank was taken in 2015. A proposal to merge the two companies participating in the project appeared and was soon implemented. The new venture linking KMW and Nexter was originally named KANT. It was later renamed KNDS. It was assumed that the organization of such a company would optimize the development of the project, as well as simplify the promotion of finished products on the international market.
At the beginning of 2016, the combined French-German enterprise presented the first information about a promising project for the main tank. The concept of the new vehicle was developed as part of a project called the Main Ground Combat System. KNDS announced the basic requirements for a promising tank, and also demonstrated the intended appearance of such a vehicle. At the same time, it was noted that the proposed appearance of the armored vehicles is not final. Over the next few years, the joint venture was supposed to continue working on the project, right up to the formation of the optimal configuration.
From 2016 to 2018, KNDS has repeatedly published new materials on a promising project. At the same time, the existing picture has not seriously changed. From the official reports, it followed that the designers continue to work out the previously proposed appearance of the technique. Its cardinal revision was not expected. At the same time, various proposals were made in the field of weapons, control systems, communications, etc.
In June 2018, it was announced that the list of participants in the MGCS program was expanding. The military departments of Germany and France joined the joint venture formed by the firms of the two countries. Now the development of the future tank and other types of armored vehicles will be carried out with the support and supervision of potential operators. It is assumed that in the distant future, the MGCS tank will replace the existing Leopard 2 and Leclerc vehicles, and therefore their current owners should be able to influence a promising project.
According to reports in recent months, the proposed MGCS concept of the 2016 version has not undergone major revisions, but has changed noticeably. There were proposals of various kinds, affecting individual components of the machine and affecting its capabilities. In addition, relatively recently, there was a proposal for the further development of the MGCS tank and the creation of a new Common Indirect Fire System self-propelled artillery unit on its basis. However, the new SPG should appear much later than the tank.
According to official reports from KNDS, the new MGCS project in its current state provides for the construction of a main battle tank of a classic layout, based on a number of mastered solutions. At the same time, it is proposed to use new concepts and ideas that have not yet been used in European tank building. As a result, an armored combat vehicle should appear that has advantages over the existing Leclerc and Leopard.
It is indicated that the new tank should have a number of different kinds of protection, capable of withstanding all major threats. The combined armor of the hull and turret will be complemented by dynamic protection. Armor and overhead elements will have to provide protection against both different types of projectiles and mines or explosive devices. Optical devices will have a special protection against laser radiation, preventing the "blinding" of the tank and its crew.
The MGCS tank will be able to receive an expanded set of sensors and detection tools that help increase survivability on the battlefield. For this, optical, infrared, acoustic and other sensors can be used. It is proposed to develop a new complex of optical-electronic suppression based on a laser. With its help, it will be possible to fight against enemy optics, primarily with sighting devices of armored vehicles of anti-tank complexes.
Tank Leopard 2A7 + - one of the latest German developments
Initially, the Main Ground Combat System project envisaged the use of a promising 130 mm smoothbore cannon as the main armament. Already in 2016, Rheinmetall demonstrated a prototype of such a weapon. However, it was later noted that, for a number of reasons, the MGCS tank could retain the standard 120 mm caliber for today's times. Also, the possibility of sequential creation of different modifications of the tank with different weapons was not excluded. A newer modification could have a larger-caliber reinforced weapon.
Regardless of the caliber of the future gun, its developers have several main tasks. First of all, it is required to increase the muzzle velocity of the projectile, which should lead to an increase in its energy and an increase in penetration. At the same time, scattering should be reduced and accuracy improved. It is planned to use new explosives with improved characteristics as part of shells and propellants. To obtain an increase in basic indicators, modern and promising nanotechnologies can be used.
One of the ways to increase the combat potential is the use of promising guided missiles. To do this, it is necessary to work out the issues of improving and miniaturizing guidance systems, including with two-way communication. A homing projectile in combination with an increased accuracy cannon will clearly affect the combat qualities of the tank.
In the field of fire control systems, it is planned to develop existing and mastered solutions. The search for targets and the guidance of weapons will be carried out using optical-electronic means. By the time the MGCS technical project is developed, a new component base is expected, due to which it will be possible to create improved sights. The same applies to the electronic components of the OMS. In connection with the emergence of new types of projectiles with special capabilities, we should expect the introduction of appropriate devices to interact with them.
In the field of communications and control, German and French designers propose to continue the development of current current ideas and solutions. The onboard facilities of the machine must provide both voice communication and data transmission. Tank MGCS will have to work within the network-centric system. He will be able to receive data from all available sources and transfer information to different consumers. In this area, the development of existing technologies will take place, aimed at increasing the reliability of communication channels, increasing the speed of data transmission, etc.
As with other modern projects, the new French-German program will include measures aimed at generating savings. With all its advantages, a promising tank should have the lowest possible cost of production and operation. For this, it is planned to use only mastered technologies and components, as well as simplified designs with sufficient characteristics. Operation and maintenance can be simplified with built-in health monitoring systems.
It should be noted that so far the KNDS joint venture has identified only the general features of the future main battle tank, and also presented several images showing the possible appearance of this vehicle. At the same time, the development of the technical design has not yet begun. This stage of work will be launched only in the medium term, which is associated with special requirements for technology and objective constraints of various kinds.
According to KNDS plans, the main development work on the Main Ground Combat System program will start in 2019. By the middle of the decade, designers will complete the design, and then an experimental tank of a new model will be built. The first half of the thirties will be spent on testing, fine-tuning and preparation for future serial production. Thus, the research and development stage will take a total of about two decades, if we count from the moment the joint venture was formed.
The first serial tanks of the new type will enter the armies of France and Germany in 2035. In the early years, they will have to supplement existing equipment such as Leclerc and Leopard 2, later modernized versions. However, from a certain time, the current tanks will be decommissioned due to moral and physical obsolescence. The decommissioning of some tanks and the supply of others will lead to a gradual change in the balance, and as a result, the MGCS tank will become the main one not only in terms of classification, but also in terms of its role in the troops.
The amount of equipment required has not yet been specified. Currently, more than three hundred Leopard-2 tanks of various modifications are in the Bundeswehr. France has 400 Leclerc tanks. How the fleet of armored vehicles of the two countries will change in the coming decades is unknown. The method of replacing these machines with new ones also remains in question. Nevertheless, there is every reason to believe that France and Germany will order several hundred promising tanks in the future. However, their exact number will be determined later.
Modern French MBT Leclerc
It should not be forgotten that armored vehicles of French and German production enjoy a certain popularity among foreign countries. In addition, it should be borne in mind that one of the goals of creating the KNDS company was to simplify the export of military products "bypassing" the restrictions of German legislation. Thus, it cannot be ruled out that from a certain time MGCS will be offered for export. However, which countries would like to buy such equipment is a big question.
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For a number of well-known reasons, European countries in recent decades have not been developing completely new tanks, preferring to modernize existing models. This approach, on the whole, justified itself and allowed for the renewal of troops with reduced costs. However, such techniques involve the use of existing armored vehicles, which cannot serve indefinitely. The threat of physical obsolescence, as well as the emergence of a fundamentally new foreign model, led to the start of a full-fledged project.
The Main Ground Combat System program actually started at the beginning of this decade, but is still in its early stages. First, foreign companies determined the need to create a new project, then they looked for the optimal order of cooperation and were engaged in uniting with each other. Only after that, due attention was paid to the actual elaboration of the project. However, even in this case, the success of the program cannot be called outstanding. For several years, it was only possible to form the appearance of a promising tank and determine its main features.
The creation of a real combat vehicle will take another 10-15 years - in the absence of serious difficulties that could disrupt the work schedule. Then it will take some time to re-equip troops and gradually replace outdated equipment. It is not hard to imagine when Germany and France will be able to boast of a full-fledged grouping of the latest tanks with the highest characteristics. In addition, you can try to predict the development of armored vehicles in other countries and predict what tanks they will have by the time the serial MGCS appears.
A specific risk in the context of the MGCS program is associated with the interaction of the developer countries. It should be recalled that this is not the first attempt to create a joint project of the main tank for several countries. The previous project of this kind failed, as a result of which France had to create its own "Leclerc", and Germany developed the "Leopard-2". So far there are no guarantees that KNDS will be able to bring the next idea of an "international" tank to the desired results.
However, despite all the weaknesses and specific deadlines, the Main Ground Combat System project is of great interest from different points of view. First of all, it shows that Germany and France see the prospects for their armored forces and associate their development in the distant future only with fundamentally new main tanks. In the coming years, vehicles such as Leopard 2 and Leclerc will continue to serve, but in the future they will have to give way to a newer and more perfect model. If, of course, he appears on time.
