Germany rejects French claim it quit Franco-German tank project

Germany on October 9, 2026 firmly rejected assertions by French armed forces chief Fabien Mandon that Berlin withdrew from the joint Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) tank project. While Mandon criticized the program's progress during parliamentary testimony, the French Defence Ministry and German Defence Ministry both reaffirmed commitment to the initiative, which was launched in 2017 between KNDS, Rheinmetall, and Thales. The disagreement reflects ongoing industrial strains following the cancellation of a joint fighter jet project in June 2026.

German denial of project withdrawal

• ▪Germany on October 9, 2026 dismissed claims made by French armed forces chief Fabien Mandon that Berlin had decided to withdraw from the joint Main Ground Combat System tank project launched in 2017
• ▪A spokesperson for the German Defence Ministry stated that Germany remains committed to equal partnership in the Main Ground Combat System tank project and rejected Fabien Mandon's claims that the project had failed

Cancellation of joint fighter jet project

• ▪Tensions over the Main Ground Combat System tank project, launched in 2017, highlight broader friction in Franco-German defense cooperation following the cancellation of a joint fighter jet project in June 2026
• ▪In June 2026, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to scrap Europe's most ambitious joint defense program, a next-generation fighter jet project, due to months of deadlock between competing arms firms

Background on the joint tank project

• ▪The Main Ground Combat System tank project has been plagued by ongoing delays and infighting between France and Germany since its creation
• ▪Germany and France agreed in 2017 to jointly develop the Main Ground Combat System tank to replace the German Leopard 2 and French Leclerc main battle tanks
• ▪The Main Ground Combat System tank project involves holding company KNDS—formed by France's Nexter and Germany's Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann—alongside Germany's Rheinmetall and France's Thales

Debatable claims

• ▪The Franco-German Main Ground Combat System tank project remains viable
• ▪Franco-German military cooperation is effective in delivering European strategic autonomy