The French Army has unveiled an upgraded Leclerc XLR main battle tank with a roof-mounted cage armor.
The cage, once mocked as 'cope cages' when seen on Russian tanks, has proven useful against drones on the modern battlefield. The French Army technical section built a prototype, now being manufactured by KNDS France and delivered to tank units.
The Leclerc upgrade is part of France's Scorpion armored-vehicle modernization program, which includes new computers, additional armor, and a remotely operated turret. The tank will reach the end of its service life by 2035, and the Army plans to acquire an interim capability before the arrival of the Main Ground Combat System, a networked system with artificial intelligence, around 2045.
