France and Germany agreed to develop a planned next-generation tank known as the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS).
The defence ministers of both countries, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu, met in Berlin.
According to the agreement, Berlin and Paris will plan the MGCS and split tasks. The tank will replace Leopard 2 and Leclerc tanks. French Minister Pistorius said a formal document for the first development phase will be signed in Paris on April 26. He added that the MGCS will not be a modernised version of Leclerc or Leopard 2 tanks but a completely new model with advanced capabilities.
