German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Paris on Friday for final talks on a joint Franco-German armaments project worth billions of euros.
Pistorius and French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding for an effort to jointly develop the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), which is aimed at replacing the countries' current main battle tanks.
The MGCS project is conceived around not just a new main battle tank design, but also a series of systems and vehicles built off that platform that will connect battle tanks in a data network with support weapons such as drones and other unmanned systems.
Interconnecting the weapons systems will enable a technological leap in military technology, according to supporters of the project.
The MGCS project is expected to replace Germany's Leopard 2 and France's Leclerc main battle tanks.
Germany is to play a lead role in developing the MGCS, which is a counterpart to the joint Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project being led by France, which includes the development of a next-generation fighter jet as well as drones and other systems.
Like other joint European defence projects, the effort has been delayed by tensions between participating countries over how to distribute industrial contracts and other spending among firms.
In May 2021, Germany, France and Spain reached an agreement in principle on the FCAS, which is worth billions, following a lengthy struggle over industrial policy.
