To save the French tank industry, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt could be the preferred alternative for Paris!

A few days ago, Emmanuel Chiva, the French Deputy Chief of Staff, indirectly opened the door to an intensification of relations between the French combat tank industry and its German counterpart, ahead of the MGCS program, perhaps to provide the Army with the intermediate generation tank it so desperately needs.

Indeed, if the French armies have needs, the French State has immense budgetary constraints, which leads the executive to consider certain renunciations, such as equipping the Army with an intermediate generation tank of German design, assembled in France, which would mark, one might think, the end of the French adventure in the field of combat tanks, MGCS or not.

Yet, Germany is not the only potential partner in this matter. Indeed, by looking beyond European borders, Paris could see tremendous potential for cooperation emerging, concerning the design and production of an advanced Leclerc, or even an advanced generation tank, with partners such as the United Arab Emirates, or Egypt, or, even better, with both!

What are the obstacles that currently prevent France from developing its own intermediate generation combat tank, as Germany is doing with the Leopard 3? What are the limits of cooperation with German industry in this area? How can the United Arab Emirates and Egypt represent a choice alternative for developing an intermediate-generation tank with France? And how could such a tripartite program preserve French industrial and technological expertise in combat tanks?

To design a battle tank, France has the technological skills, but not the funding.

Between the rapid and massive increase in tensions and risks of war, including in Europe, and the significant withdrawal of American protection from all its allies, the international context is more favorable than ever for major industrial defense programs, while most of the world's armies are seeing their funding increase.