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both Russia and Ukraine deploying them in large numbers in the ity and manned/unmanned teaming. The tank
ongoing conflict. In the aftermath of the war, NATO countries, espe- also has six Switchblade 300 loitering munitions.
cially those in Eastern Europe, are expediting plans to upgrade their According to company officials, the capabilities
tank fleets with a mix of new platforms and the modernization of on AbramsX will be ready to build into a new MBT
existing systems. With demand growing across regions, it is not a or to be retrofitted into the current Abrams fleet,
surprise that Fortune Business Insights forecasts that the global MBT “within 18 to 24 months.”
market size, which was valued at US$ 5.35 billion in 2022, is projected
to grow from US$ 5.54 billion in 2023 to US$ 6.90 billion by 2030, at Despite the hammering that MBTs have received
a CAGR of 3.2%.
in recent conflicts, they remain in demand in
military circles. According to Fortune Business
A New Route Insights, the global main battle tank market size,
which was valued at US$ 5.35 billion in 2022, is
Taking note of the extensive damage that MBTs have suffered in the
war on Ukraine, the U.S. Army announced in September that it would projected to grow from US$ 5.54 billion in 2023
shelve the M1A2 System Enhancement Package version 4 effort for to US$ 6.90 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 3.2%.
the Abrams Main Battle Tank. In its place, the service has unveiled
M1E3 Abrams, a new modernization effort that will focus on making Partnering for Success

the capability improvements needed to fight and win against future One of the more high-profile MBT projects is
threats on the battlefield of 2040 and beyond. Initial operational the development of the Main Ground Combat
capability is anticipated in the early 2030s.
System (MGCS), an initiative involving France
and Germany. The project, conceived in 2017 as
“The Abrams Tank can no longer grow its capabilities without adding a new main battle tank to replace the Leopard
weight, and we need to reduce its logistical footprint,” says Maj. 2 and Leclerc, has experienced delays, but
Gen. Glenn Dean, Program Executive Officer for Ground Combat both countries remain committed to the proj-
Systems. “The war in Ukraine has highlighted a critical need for inte- ect. During a meeting in September, French
grated protections for Soldiers, built from within instead of adding Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu and
on.” his German counterpart Boris Pistorius pledged
The aim of the modernization effort is to design a more survivable, support for the project. By the end of the year,
lighter tank that will be more effective on the battlefield at initial the two countries are expected to define the
fielding, and easier to upgrade in the future. M1E3 Abrams will include different pillars of the project and the leading
the best features of the M1A2 SEPv4 and will comply with the latest country for each of them. While the new MBT
modular open systems architecture standards, allowing quicker was expected to be operational sometime
technology upgrades and requiring fewer resources. between 2035 and 2040, Lecornu told report-
ers the project “will take us to 2040, 2045.” The
MGCS, he added, will be “a system of different
General Dynamic Land Systems, manufacturer of the Abrams tank, manned and unmanned modules, laser tech-
is already working on a lighter and more fuel-efficient MBT, one nology and drones.”
with an array of technological upgrades. In October last year at the “The pace was slowed down and now we’re
U.S. Army’s annual conference, the company unveiled AbramsX, a speeding up,” Pistorius told media persons.
technology demonstrator is about 20 tons lighter than the current “Next year, I hope we’ll get to the decisive stage
M1A3 tank and has the same range with 50% less fuel consumption. of signing the contract, which may allow others
According to reports, AbramsX features an unmanned turret and to join the project.”
a hybrid-electric engine, besides having an embedded artificial
intelligence capability that enables lethality, survivability, mobil- The project is led by KNDS, a company formed
through the merger of France’s Nexter, which
makes the Leclerc tank, and Germany’s Krauss-
Maffei Wegmann (KMW), which makes Leopard 2
tanks. In 2019, Rheinmetall joined the project. The
chances of more companies joining the fray are
high as Italy and the Netherlands have shown
interest in the project.

Burgeoning Demand

In May this year, the German military ordered 18
new Leopard 2 tanks to replace MBTs that were
sent to Ukraine. According to KMW, the US$563
million contract includes options for another 105
Leopard 2A8 tanks. Delivery of the new tanks is
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