{"id":63716,"date":"2023-03-08T14:06:17","date_gmt":"2023-03-08T14:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2023\/03\/08\/french-defense-boss-fingers-german-industry-over-sluggish-tank-program\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:46:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:46:16","slug":"french-defense-boss-fingers-german-industry-over-sluggish-tank-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2023\/03\/08\/french-defense-boss-fingers-german-industry-over-sluggish-tank-program\/","title":{"rendered":"French defense boss marks German industry over sluggish tank program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">STUTTGART, Germany \u2014 The French defense minister has affirmed that France and Germany\u2019s cooperation on Europe\u2019s two largest arms programs remains ongoing, as lawmakers this week expressed concern over diverging political and industrial interests between Berlin and Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Members of the Senate\u2019s commission for foreign and military affairs sought answers from Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu during a Feb. 28 hearing about the state of Franco-German cooperation on weapons programs. Two major joint procurement efforts \u2014 the Future Combat Air System, or FCAS, and the Main Ground Combat System, or MGCS \u2014 are taking years longer than planned to get off the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The FCAS program \u2014 which aims to replace the fighter fleets of France, Germany and Spain, and provide a swath of new weapons and capabilities, by 2040 \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/global\/europe\/2022\/12\/01\/aircraft-makers-lumber-toward-deal-for-europes-next-gen-fighter-jet\/\">only several months ago entered the Phase 1B pre-demonstrator step<\/a><b> <\/b>to develop a next-generation fighter prototype. That\u2019s two years later than originally expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, the MGCS program, which is meant to modernize the German and French tank inventories by 2045, has not moved past its study and design phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the delays, Lecornu expressed support for both programs, and for Franco-German cooperation writ large, during his hearing with lawmakers. Speaking specifically to the tank program, he appeared to attribute the delays largely to discord between the ambitions of the German government and its industry vendors as well as industry infighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat the chancellor and ministers want does not always correspond to what industry wants,\u201d he told the committee, referring to Germany\u2019s Olaf Scholz. Lecornu also acknowledged the same can be true within his own office and with French vendors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The German Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But even more to do with Germany is the fact that Berlin\u2019s industry players are not always in agreement with each other, Lecornu explained. \u201cWe can see that sometimes we ourselves are spectators to disagreements, not internally to the Germany political apparatus but within the German industry apparatus,\u201d Lecornu said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">German company Rheinmetall and European business KNDS were awarded an 18-month contract for the MGCS System Architecture Definition Study\u2014Part 1 in 2020. KNDS is a joint venture between Germany\u2019s Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and France\u2019s Nexter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Per Rheinmetall, the German and French industrial partners have jointly developed a concept for the implementation and realization of the MGCS technology demonstrators. They submitted that concept to the French Directorate General of Armaments and the German Defence Ministry in October 2022 for a review and decision, a company spokesman wrote in a March 2 email to Defense News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFrom an industry perspective, the next steps are therefore currently on the official side,\u201d the spokesperson said. KNDS did not respond to requests for comment by Defense News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/global\/europe\/2022\/10\/25\/german-air-chief-f-35-buy-safe-despite-rising-inflation-costs\/\">Germany last year announced plans to procure several dozen American-made F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to replace the nuclear-carrying portion of its PA 200 Tornado fleet.<\/a> Although the F-35 will not fully overhaul the German Air Force\u2019s fighter fleet and the military maintains it is committed to the FCAS program, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/global\/europe\/2022\/03\/04\/fcas-warplane-program-stalls-as-dassault-and-airbus-fail-to-reach-key-industry-deal\/\">French industry officials pointed to the decision as a display that Germany was choosing to buy American over European collaboration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lecornu asserted that France needs to maintain these cooperative programs with Germany, not only to reduce the cost of such weapons to the French taxpayer but because of the importance of European partnerships writ large.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remarking that Franco-German cooperation efforts \u2014 and the tension that can ensue \u2014 go back to the 1959-1969 French presidency of Charles de Gaulle, Lecornu asserted that patience is key, and that \u201cwhatever happens, we will need an aircraft, and we will need a tank.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ongoing debate over providing Ukraine with fighter jets also loomed over the commission meeting. Lecornu was questioned about France\u2019s extra stock of 12 Mirage 2000C fighter aircraft, and whether he envisions providing them to Ukraine, which is fighting a Russian invasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lecornu did not refer to the Mirages by name, but said the French government is holding discussions with Ukraine regarding fighter jets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere is no taboo on this topic,\u201d he said, noting that the challenge of providing fighter jets to Kyiv rests in the maintenance capacity, as well as training Ukrainian pilots.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite delays, the French defense minister said he supports the program, and Franco-German cooperation writ large, during a hearing with 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