Massive Land Attacks: New German, European Tanks Unveiled At Eurosatory

By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News

It’s been called the tank of the future – a joint project between France and Germany to build a next-generation armored vehicle that will use drones, artificial intelligence and lasers to change the shape of the battlefield.

But the project, announced in 2017, has been hit by disagreements and delays. In April, the two countries finally agreed on how to split up the work. But it’s likely to be a long time before the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) is deployed.

In the meantime, the companies involved in the project are upgrading their current tanks. Both Rheinmetall and KNDS rolled out their latest versions Monday at the Eurosatory arms show in Paris.

The prototype of Rheinmetall’s KF51-U tank is an unmanned turret . With the Concept Uncrewed Turret, the three-man crew would sit side-by-side in the protected hull, while an automatic loader would provide 25 rounds for the 130mm main gun.

The tank’s commander would use a remotely controlled combat module, which includes an RMG762 machine gun. The weapon has three barrels which rotate to guard against overheating. Rheinmetall says there would also be small onboard drones which could be used for reconnaissance.

The original KF51 was unveiled two years ago. The main gun was designed for the MGCS program.