Germany, France agree to accelerate long-delayed battle tank project

By Bahattin Gonultas

BERLIN (AA) - Germany and France on Monday agreed to accelerate work on the development of a joint battle tank.

"We want to continue this joint project despite all the doomsayers and rumors," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters after meeting with French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu in Berlin, arguing that the Franco-German friendship was "unique."

Pistorius said have left the diplomatic stage behind in developing a joint battle tank with France, adding that they aim to give a clear message that they want to start concrete work with Lecornu.

Lecornu also said that the chiefs of General Staff of both countries were assigned until the fourth quarter of this year to determine the capabilities of the new tank.

Stating that they will hold a meeting on the tank project in France this September or at the latest in the fourth quarter, Lecornu stressed that they created this calendar in order to present proposals on the tank project to Prime Minister Olaf Scholz and President Emmanuel Macron.

Berlin and Paris agreed in 2017 to work on the development of the Future Combat Aircraft Combat System (SCAF), at an estimated cost of €100 billion ($109.9 billion), as well as a Franco-German tank to replace the German Leopard 2 and the French Leclerc.

The next-generation fighter and battle tank projects, planned to be produced as a joint German-French project to reduce Europe's dependence on the US, faced disagreements and delays.

Europe's dependence on the US in defense and its inability to compete with US and Chinese companies in key technological developments have long been a topic of debate.