France has unveiled an interim main battle tank, the CAPINT, to bridge the gap between its current Leclerc fleet and the delayed Franco-German Main Ground Combat System (MGCS). The CAPINT combines a French turret and main gun on a German Leopard 2 hull.
The MGCS program, which began in 2017, is now expected to arrive in service in the mid-2040s, roughly a decade behind schedule. France's Leclerc tanks are due to be taken out of service by 2038, prompting the need for an interim solution.
The CAPINT features an uncrewed turret armed with a 120mm ASCALON smoothbore gun and can accommodate a 140mm cannon in the future. The tank's three crew will be carried in an armored citadel with passive composite armor and reactive and active protection systems.
