Latest news with #Leopard3
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New Franco-German Tank Project Takes Shape With Industry Team Confirmed
Four different European defense companies will come together in a joint venture to build a next-generation Franco-German main battle tank, under the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) initiative. The tank, which will be part of a wider 'system of systems,' confirms something of a renaissance in Western European armor programs, with a notable emphasis on larger and heavier-hitting main armament. The establishment of the joint venture, which comprises KNDS Deutschland, KNDS France, Rheinmetall Landsysteme, and THALES SIX GTS France, was confirmed today by the German government's Federal Cartel Office (or Bundeskartellamt), the country's competition regulatory agency. The joint venture, the MGCS-Projekt Company, will be based in Germany and will be charged with the industrial development of the MGCS tank, to be procured by Germany and France. The tank is planned to ultimately replace Germany's Leopard 2s and France's Leclercs, sometime in the 2040s. Before the joint venture could be approved, the Federal Cartel Office had to ensure that it wouldn't have an adverse impact on competition between the firms. The agency concluded that, despite 'some overlap in the area of armored military vehicles,' the companies wouldn't be able to realize the aims of MGCS alone. It also confirmed that the firms would continue to compete against each other for different armored vehicle contracts. The Federal Cartel Office also provided some more outlines of the MGCS program's aims, namely, to develop a modular main battle tank 'which fulfills various capability requirements as a multi-platform system.' As such, the program will provide 'an identical chassis on which different modules can be placed as required.' The agency adds: 'This flexible approach makes it possible to create several specialized vehicles that operate in tandem.' Of the four different companies involved, KNDS is already a Franco-German concern, established through the previous merger of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and the French armaments group Nexter. Rheinmetall is Germany's largest arms manufacturer, and the fifth biggest in Europe. Finally, Thales is a French aerospace and defense company specializing in electronics with a global footprint. Within this, THALES SIX GTS France handles communications and security technologies. This significant step forward for the MGCS program comes soon after Germany determined that it would start work on a new main battle tank, which is already being referred to as the Leopard 3. In February of this year, the German Armed Forces procurement office issued a contract for technical studies of 130mm ammunition, as well as a powerplant, protection systems, and other equipment. Intriguingly, all of these new technologies are intended to be compatible with the existing Leopard 2 main battle tank. Once integrated into that platform, the result will be a significantly different tank, likely to be designated Leopard 3, although Leopard 2 AX or 'the bridge solution' have also been mentioned. The interim tank is supposed to be ready to enter German Army service in the 2030s. The German efforts in this direction underscore the value the country has assigned to modernizing its tank fleet. At the same time, it is quite possible that technologies developed for the Leopard 3 could also find their way into the MGCS main battle tank. In particular, the 130mm ammunition — a study that will be conducted by Rheinmetall — would be a logical fit for the GMCS program. Reflecting a growing shift toward increased-caliber tank armament, a 130mm main gun has been planned for the MGCS for some time. This will offer much more kinetic energy — and penetrating power — than existing 120mm weapons. However, the modular nature of the MGCS program means its scope is not limited to a main battle tank, although that will be its centerpiece. However, as a 'system of systems,' the Franco-German project is expected to field other crewed and uncrewed vehicles. Exactly what these will be is likely still to be determined. Nevertheless, the Federal Cartel Office's description of 'an identical chassis on which different modules can be placed as required' suggests a family of related fighting vehicles is planned. These specialized versions could perhaps be tasked with electronic warfare, air defense, or as platforms from which to launch drones or loitering munitions or fire directed-energy weapons. At least one video, released by German electronics firm Hensoldt, shows MGCS platforms working alongside multicopter drones, which serve as reconnaissance platforms as well as networking the different ground vehicles together — as seen in the image at the top of this story. At the same time, the MGCS family might include more traditional tank derivatives such as combat engineer vehicles, armored recovery vehicles, and bridge-layers. As well as the 130mm ammunition, the German technical studies also involve a new engine block (including steering, manual gearbox, cooling system, combustion air filtration, and exhaust system) and an enhanced version of the Multifunctional Self-Protection System, to be developed by Hensoldt and KNDS Deutschland. Again, some or all of these features could find their way into the MGCS program, or at the very least help determine its requirements. The Leopard 3 study is not the only Franco-German tank that's currently being pitched as a stopgap until the arrival of the more ambitious MGCS. Last summer, KNDS rolled out the latest Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 version of the Leopard 2, which you can read about here. This new version of the Leopard 2 features a completely uncrewed turret that can be armed with an even larger 140mm main gun. The tank also features a built-in anti-tank guided missile launcher and a remote weapon station armed with a 30mm cannon optimized for engaging drones, a threat that has now fully emerged thanks to the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Rheinmetall is also now marketing a next-generation tank, the KF51 Panther. This is armed with a 130mm main gun but retains a more conventional crewed turret. That turret also features a built-in launcher for missiles or drones and the option to install a remote weapon station on top. You can read more about the Panther's design and capabilities here. In another binational European joint venture, Rheinmetall teamed up with Leonardo of Italy to develop and manufacture a version of the KF51 for the Italian Army. The two firms will also market the KF51 — alongside other armored fighting vehicles — to other potential customers. Overall, Germany is very much back in business when it comes to developing main battle tanks, products in which it was for a long time one of the leading manufacturers. The end of the Cold War, however, saw tank fleets slashed in general, and entirely done away with in some countries. Increasing Russian belligerence, starting with the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and culminating in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has been the prime driver behind a return to the primacy of tank warfare in Europe. Now, both Germany and France are committed to regenerating their tank forces — and their wider armored fighting vehicle capabilities — via the MGCS program. However, this is an ambitious, multi-layered effort and many of its details and requirements are still to be defined. With service entry pitched for the 2040s, it's no surprise that Germany, in particular, is looking at interim tank designs to meet threats in the years before then. Already, the MGCS effort has seen delays, but there could be more ahead. After all, a technology demonstrator for the MGCS program, the Enhanced Main Battle Tank, combining Leclerc and Leopard 2 components, was unveiled in 2018, but there has been little in the way of hardware since then. As it stands, there is still much to be determined about the MGCS program and the vehicles it will yield, but we do now have confirmation of the four companies that will be responsible for developing and manufacturing them. Contact the author: thomas@
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Wokingham Borough Council to spend £1.9m on new bus routes
Bus services in Wokingham are set to receive a £1.9m boost after councillors approved plans to invest in new and existing borough council has received grants from the Department for Transport and developers' contributions to offer certain routes more include continued funding for the Winnersh Triangle Park and Ride, with the service running every 15 Labour councillors said the plans were full of "vague, feel good platitudes". The council also suggested enhancements to the 850 route, running between Reading and High Wycombe, as well as the Leopard 3, between Reading and Wokingham station, via Shinfield and suggestions included providing services on the 600 Mereoak Park and Ride on Sundays, launching a park and ride from Coppid Beech, a route between Crowthorne and Wokingham railway stations and between Lower Earley and Wokingham. 'Supports local priorities' Martin Alder, executive member for active travel, transport and highways, said the plans "reflect changing travel trends".He told councillors: "It supports our local priorities, including a prosperous economy, improving quality of life for residents, reducing the environmental impact of transport and the first stages in the transition of the transport sector towards lower carbon emissions and net zero."Labour councillor, Marie-Louise Weighill, said: "The reality of local transport in Wokingham borough is not reflected in the Local Transport Plan. "Again and again, transport infrastructure is delivered well after housing, if at all."The plans were approved by full council, with Labour members abstaining, on 20 March before being given final approval by the executive on 27 the executive meeting, Mr Alder reiterated the funding was "crucial" for subsidising bus services and making public transport more accessible to residents. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Germany Kicks Off Work On Leopard 3 Main Battle Tank
Germany has moved a step closer to building a new main battle tank — already dubbed Leopard 3 — with a contract issued for technical studies of 130mm ammunition, as well as a powerplant, protection systems, and other equipment. The resulting systems are expected to find their way into an interim tank that will be operated by the German military pending the arrival of an all-new Franco-German main battle tank. This more advanced tank may well also end up using some of the same equipment now being studied. The German Armed Forces procurement office, the BAAINBw, published details of the technical studies on TED, the European online procurement platform. The announcements were first reported in the media by the German defense and security website hartpunkt. These reveal that technical studies have been commissioned to cover three different areas: firepower, mobility, and protection. So it seems Germany might be developing a Leopard 3 tank. Recent contracts announced by the BAAINBw point to the following developments: – Ammunition for the @RheinmetallAG 130 mm gun– New engine from @Liebherr – Improved protection from @hensoldt – And improvements to the… — Sam Cranny-Evans (@Sam_Cranny) February 6, 2025 All of these new technologies are intended to be compatible with the existing Leopard 2 main battle tank. However, should they eventually be integrated into a single platform, the result will be a significantly different tank. This will likely be designated Leopard 3 — although it has also been described as the Leopard 2 AX or 'the bridge solution.' The study for 130mm ammunition will be conducted by Rheinmetall. This reflects a broader interest in moving to increased-caliber tank armament and the gun itself is something that Rheinmetall has been working on for some time now. This work is broken down into three components, for three different ammunition types: the DM13 rounds that will be used as qualification ammunition for trials; DM11 multifunctional high-explosive ammunition; and DM23 kinetic-energy anti-armor ammunition. It was previously known that a large-caliber 130mm main gun was being planned for the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) a Franco-German project that seeks to field an advanced new main battle tank as well as a 'system of systems' of other crewed and uncrewed vehicles. The tank component is expected to ultimately replace Germany's existing Leopard 2s, as well as France's Leclercs. Rheinmetall's 130mm gun has also been around for some time. The smoothbore gun, with 52 caliber lengths, was first revealed in prototype form in 2016. At the time, Rheinmetall said that the new gun would offer a 50 percent increase in kinetic energy compared with the 120mm gun used on the Leopard 2. While this is significant, in terms of penetration power, the larger gun is also notably heavier and bulkier than the 120mm weapon. When it was unveiled, Rheinmetall said the 130mm gun weighed more than 7,700 pounds, compared with around 6,600 pounds for the 120mm gun. At the same time, the larger projectiles fired — each of which weighs more than 66 pounds and is around 4.2 feet long — require an automatic loader within a turret of revised design. Rheinmetall has already carried out firing demonstrations with the 130mm gun, as well as extensive simulations and studies. Meanwhile, Liebherr will be responsible for the study for a new engine, known as OLYMP. Like the 130mm main gun, this will be tailored for the 'interim' Leopard 3, but it could potentially have other applications too. In the past, Liebherr has developed and produced engines for the Marder 1 infantry fighting vehicle as well as its successor, the Lynx KF41. The BAAINBw description specifies a complete engine block, comprising the combustion engine itself as well as steering, manual gearbox, cooling system, combustion air filtration, and exhaust system. Also required are engine mounts to attach the power pack to the chassis, side gears, and connections to the control system and fuel supply. The study calls for the use of as many existing components from the Leopard 2 as possible. Hensoldt and KNDS Deutschland are the two companies commissioned to study the increased level of protection for the Leopard 3. This calls for the development of a 'significantly more combat-capable variant of the MUSS,' a reference to Hensoldt's existing Multifunctional Self-Protection System. This may result in a further enhancement of the MUSS 2.0 the company presented last year, for use on the Puma infantry fighting vehicle and other platforms. The current MUSS 2.0 is a lighter-weight and lower-profile system than the original MUSS. It essentially consists of four passive sensors located around the vehicle. Each of these sensors combined a missile and laser warning sensor, as well as a laser-based infrared jammer and an infrared countermeasures dispenser. The system is designed to defend against anti-tank guided missiles, but it can also detect tracer rounds, muzzle flashes, projectile fire, and low-power lasers. The MUSS 2.0 is able to detect different threats simultaneously, prioritize them, and then counter them, in semi- or fully autonomous modes. The threat database can also be regularly updated, to deal with new and emerging threats. Finally, two further technical studies have been awarded to Hensoldt and to KNDS Germany, calling for work in a field adjustment system. This is required to compensate for the effects of barrel bend, a phenomenon that is caused by changes in temperature and which can affect the accuracy of the main gun. In the Leopard 2, a manual system is used for field adjustment, which is the responsibility of the gunner. The BAAINBw wants a new system to be fully automated so that regular manual adjustment is no longer necessary. The interim main battle tank, if development continues, will provide the German Armed Forces with a tank that will serve at least until the introduction of an all-new fighting vehicle, being developed under the MGCS project. The report from hartpunkt, which cites unnamed defense insiders, suggests that the interim Leopard 3 (provided it receives this designation) will be 'adapted to the current threat level in terms of performance and will have additional capabilities compared to the Leopard 2A8.' The latter is currently the most advanced production version of the Leopard 2. The report adds that the interim tank should start to enter service in the 2030s — if the German government gives it the go-ahead. The tank should then serve for around 25 years. At this stage, the final specifications of the Leopard 3 are still to be determined, and they will likely be refined after these three technical studies are completed. The German Armed Forces procurement office expects this work to be finished by the end of 2026. It's unclear where the new technical studies will leave the Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 version of the Leopard 2, which was rolled out by Franco-German defense conglomerate KNDS last summer, as you can read about here. This new version of the Leopard 2 features a completely uncrewed turret that can be armed with an even larger 140mm main gun. The tank also features a built-in anti-tank guided missile launcher and a remote weapon station armed with a 30mm cannon optimized for engaging drones, a threat that has now fully emerged thanks to the war in Ukraine. KNDS wants to offer the Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 for sale but also expects it to be a key stepping stone to the next-generation MGCS. Last year, KNDS announced it would establish a new joint company with Germany's Rheinmetall and Thales in France specifically to work on MGCS. As for Rheinmetall, this company also unveiled its own next-generation tank, the KF51 Panther, back in 2022. The KF51 also has a 130mm main gun — as specified for the new interim tank — in a more traditional crewed turret. That turret also features a built-in launcher for missiles or drones and the option to install a remote weapon station on top. You can read more about the Panther's design and capabilities here. It had previously seemed likely that the Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 would find itself in direct competition with the KF51 and, while that may be the case for sales outside Germany, the latest technical studies suggest that the BAAINBw is eyeing a different solution. While this will be broadly based on the Leopard 2, it will be a more ambitious project than the Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0, which does not — as far as is known — include a new powerplant. Regardless, it's notable that Germany is once again very active in tank development, something that reflects wider trends. After years during which many tank operators either reduced their fleets or removed them altogether, armored warfare is now experiencing something of a renaissance, spurred, in no small part, by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While France and Germany remain committed to the MGCS, the German Armed Forces clearly see a requirement for a main battle tank that can be introduced to service before this next-generation fighting vehicle becomes available. In the meantime, these German studies for an interim main battle tank — whatever it might be called — look like they could also provide a pointer to what the future MGCS tank could look like. Contact the author: thomas@
