Germany plans to procure the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) as a successor to the Leopard 2 (current variants 2A5, 2A6, 2A7, and upcoming variant 2A8). Since the MGCS is not expected to be ready before the 2040s, the German Army expressed a requirement for an interim solution to address immediate operational needs. The development of the Leopard 3 was kicked off in Early 2025 and it is expected to enter production in the early 2030s.[6][7][8] It is designed with a service life of 25 years.[9] As of July 2025, the German Army has expressed a total requirement for 1,000 additional tanks, which would be composed of a mix of Leopard 2A8, Leopard 3, and MGCS units.[10]
Design
Early design information
The changes that were mentioned from the Leopard 2A8 include:[9]
A new engine from Liebherr.[9][12] KNDS Deutschland received a contract to offer an alternative engine with the project OLYMP, with the aim to improve the mobility. The project OLYMP also includes a transmission, steering, and cooling systems.
Hensoldt would supply the MUSS 2.0 countermeasure system against modern ATGM.[9][13]
Remote turret with an automatic loader and a crew of three people.
As of July 2025, the German Army plans to order up to 1,000 additional MBT.[10] This would likely include a mix of Leopard 2A8 (because the production started), the intermediate solution of the Leopard 2AX / Leopard 3 and the MGCS.[10]
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