The head of the German defense giant Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, is concerned that France may withdraw from the Franco-German tank program following the collapse of the joint fighter project, Euractiv reports.
The Franco-German initiative FCAS to create a next-generation fighter was suspended this week amid tensions between the companies involved in the project, dealing a blow to efforts in European defense cooperation.
Now concerns are growing regarding another joint project – the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), which aims to replace the battle tanks currently used by France and Germany. "There is always a risk, but nothing has been decided yet," said Papperger.
MGCS is set to replace the German Leopard 2 tanks and the French Leclerc tanks by around 2040. The project is already behind schedule.
Rheinmetall is one of the companies involved in the project alongside the Franco-German arms manufacturer KNDS and the French company Thales.
However, Papperger noted that France is already planning to sharply cut its budget, with the discussed amount being less than half of what was previously planned. The cuts could further delay the implementation of the program, he added.
"If you have less money, you can't work faster, and we are already working very slowly," said the CEO of Rheinmetall.
The companies involved in the project have so far received only 25 million euros, which, according to Papperger, is "a very small amount."
And Drones Have Problems
The newspaper Handelsblatt also reported on Friday that the joint project to create a modern European drone is also facing difficulties.
The French company Dassault is demanding compensation from Airbus regarding the Eurodrone initiative, as it will receive a smaller share of the work within the project, the newspaper reported, citing sources familiar with the situation. The drone is being developed by France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
