The head of German defense giant Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, is concerned that France may withdraw from the Franco-German tank program after the collapse of a joint fighter jet project.
As “European Truth” reports, his statement cites Euractiv.
The Franco-German FCAS initiative to build a next-generation fighter jet was scrapped this week amid tensions between the companies involved in the project, dealing a blow to European defense cooperation efforts.
Now fears are growing about another joint project, the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), which aims to replace the main battle tanks currently used by France and Germany.
“There is always a risk, but nothing has been decided yet,” Papperger said.
Rheinmetall is one of the companies participating in the project, along with the Franco-German arms manufacturer KNDS and the French company Thales.
However, Papperger noted that France is already planning to cut the budget sharply, and the amount being discussed is 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 Rheinmetall’s CEO.
The companies participating in the project have so far received only 25 million euros, which, according to Papperger, is “a very small amount.”
The MGCS should replace the German Leopard 2 and French Leclerc tanks by around 2040. The project is already behind schedule.
The Handelsblatt newspaper also reported on Friday that the joint project to create a modern European drone is also facing difficulties.
French company Dassault is demanding compensation from Airbus in connection with 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.
On Monday, the German government said that Paris and Berlin stop working over the fighter project due to irreconcilable differences between the French company Dassault Aviation and the German Airbus Defense and Space.
We will remind, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that his government looking for new partners after the failure of a joint French-German project to develop a fighter.
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