Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger warned that the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) faces potential collapse. He told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that a French exit from the joint tank initiative remains possible.
Reports indicate France plans to drastically reduce its funding for the program. These budget cuts could cause significant delays for the project, which aims to replace German Leopard 2 and French Leclerc tanks by the mid-2030s.
Papperger highlighted the program's existing slow pace and noted that further reductions would hamper progress. The MGCS serves as a cornerstone of European defense cooperation, and its failure would represent a major strategic setback.