A new Leopard 2 tank on display at a defense expo in Paris in June 2024. The Leopard is very similar to the upcoming CAPINT tank, although the CAPINT is expected to feature a different turret. (Shutterstock/Spech)

The One Reason the ‘CAPINT’ Tank Is Better Than Its MGCS Successor

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Tanks are more useful when they actually exist—and the CAPINT is expected to beat its eventual successor to the battlefield by years, if not decades.

Franco-German defense contractor KNDS made waves last week when it revealed a new main battle tank, the CAPINT, to replace the French Army’s aging Leclerc tanks.

The tank’s temporary nature is almost built into its design. Indeed, the tank’s name—CAPacité INTermédiaire, or “intermediary capability” in French—is a nod to its expected phase-out as the more capable Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) main battle tank comes online. Yet amid the latter vehicle’s struggles, the CAPINT is far closer to actual production than the MGCS is—and a tank on the........

© The National Interest