France Advances Military Upgrade with New Battle Tanks

France is proceeding with a significant increase in its defense spending, aiming to strengthen its military capabilities by 2030. One of the main armament programs involves the acquisition of new main battle tanks, which will serve as an interim solution until the completion of the MGCS (Main Ground Combat System) program.

The Minister of the Armed Forces, Catherine Vautrin, announced that the upgraded Leclerc tanks will remain in service until 2040, while the development of the new MGCS is expected to take at least ten years. Therefore, the French Army urgently needs a temporary solution.

As Vautrin emphasized, the interim solution will come either from KNDS Germany or KNDS France, with a turret of French design and origin. KNDS is a joint venture between the German KMW and the French Nexter. Currently, France is upgrading 200 Leclerc tanks to the XLR standard as part of the broader SCORPION program (Synergie du COntact Renforcée par la Polyvalence et l’InfovalorisatiON) of the French Army.

The upgrade to the XLR standard does not include changes to the tanks’ armament, which remains as is: a 120mm main gun with a 52-caliber barrel length, a 12.7mm machine gun, and a 7.62mm machine gun on a remote-controlled turret.

The main improvement lies in the addition of modular armor to the vehicle’s and turret’s side sections, along with the reinforcement of perimeter mesh armor.

Additionally, the following will be upgraded:

• electronic systems,
• communication systems, and
• the new SICS command system (SCORPION Information and Command System).

The crew will have new multi-display screens, more powerful computers, and a new system for monitoring the tank’s status.

Finally, the Leclerc XLR will integrate an improvised explosive device countermeasure system, as well as a new navigation system (inertial and GPS).