(Land) Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) // Leopard 3

[Broensen]

The colonel then presented a conceptual image showing a formation of three AFVs that were each smaller than an MBT. He explained that the two leading AFVs, one of which was armed with a main gun and the other with a missile launcher, would be unmanned, while the AFV behind them would be manned and act as the control vehicle.

Regarding other design considerations, Col Dirks noted that all three vehicles would need to share the same chassis to minimise their logistics footprint, while a considerable degree of automation would both reduce crewing requirements and improve lethality.

Thus, the MGCS project under the German concept now appears to start with a 50-tonne unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), which, combined with other platforms, fulfils the complete set of capability requirements that could not otherwise be encompassed within a single MBT. The colonel additionally noted thus such a multi-platform solution offers a particular advantage, in that, if in future a new capability needs to be introduced, another vehicle can be added to the formation rather than further burdening the vehicles already in it.

Wenn man wirklich in eine Richtung gehen möchte, in der unbemannte Waffenträger von bemannten "Personenträgern" in der gleichen Gewichtsklasse geführt werden, dann könnte es tatsächlich auf ein SPz-Chassis hinauslaufen, was dann eine echte modulare Einheitsplattform ermöglichen würde.