Leclerc

The Leclerc is a third-generation main battle tank built by KNDS France. It is named for Marshal Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, a Free French commander who led the 2nd Armoured Division during World War II. The tank serves with the armies of France, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. Production began in 1991, and it entered French service the following year, replacing the AMX-30. France operates 222 Leclercs, with another 184 in storage, for a total of 406. The UAE has 388. Of the French fleet, 200 will be upgraded to the Leclerc XLR standard, with deliveries starting in 2022. At Eurosatory 2024, KNDS showed the Leclerc Evolution and EMBT ADT140, prototypes of an enhanced fourth-generation tank.

Studies for a replacement for the AMX-30 began in 1964 with the Engin Principal Prospectif. In 1971, after recognizing the AMX-30’s inferiority to new Soviet tanks, the Direction des Armements Terrestres started the Char Futur project. A working committee formed in 1975 and agreed on specifications by 1977. In February 1980, France and West Germany signed a memorandum for joint tank development—called Napoléon I in France and Kampfpanzer III in Germany—but disagreements ended the partnership in December 1982. France then pursued a purely national design, the EPC (Engin Principal de Combat). Importing foreign tanks like the M1 Abrams, Leopard 2, or Merkava was considered and rejected.

Unlike most Western programs, the Leclerc emphasized active protection over passive armor to keep weight down. Mobility and fire control were prioritized, but the goal was at least double the protection against kinetic-energy penetrators compared to existing 50-ton tanks (about 400 mm RHA equivalent), along with protection against shaped charges. To lower unit costs, France sought a foreign partner and found one when the UAE ordered 436 vehicles, adding to the 426 planned for the French Army.

The project was named Leclerc in 1986, and six prototypes were built quickly. Mass production began in 1990 with Batch 1 (four units) used for foreign comparative tests. Batch 2 (17 units) had improved turret and hull armor but suffered engine and suspension problems and was retired early. Batch 3 brought further improvements and helped define doctrine and training. Batches 4 and 5 fixed powerplant issues and remain in service after refits in the late 1990s. The second series started with Batch 6, which added a climate control system in the turret. Batch 7 introduced a transmission system for command vehicles and a data system showing the status of all tanks and targets, plus minor visor upgrades. Batch 8 modernized electronics. Batch 9 replaced the ATHOS thermal imager with a SAGEM Iris for better resolution.

In 2003, Greece tested several tanks—T-80U, T-84, Leclerc, M1A2 Abrams, Challenger 2E, and Leopard 2A5—for a new acquisition. The Leclerc scored perfectly at the firing range, hitting 20 rounds from 1,500 and 2,000 meters. Its hunter-kill test was weaker: 13 out of 20, versus 17 for the Leopard. Both the Leclerc and Leopard sustained nine rounds per minute, higher than other tanks. The Leclerc achieved a 500 km range, best among them. Price was decisive, and Greece chose the Leopard.

By 2005, all earlier batches were to be upgraded to Batch 9 standards. Batch 10 appeared in 2004 with new armor and information systems for sharing enemy and friendly positions across the battlefield, starting the 96-unit third series. By 2007, 355 tanks were to be operational, 320 in four regiments of 80 each. After a 2010 defense review, each regiment had 60 Leclercs (240 total), with 100 in combat-ready reserve. Due to budget cuts, only 254 were fully operational in 2011.

In 2015, Nexter Systems merged with German Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (maker of the Leopard 2) to form KNDS. Germany and France then announced plans for a joint successor to both tanks, the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS). At Eurosatory 2018, KNDS showed a demonstrator combining a Leopard 2A7 hull with a lighter, two-man Leclerc turret. System architecture and technology demonstration were to finish by 2024, with production and testing starting in 2028.

In September 2018, Der Spiegel reported that an intermediary in the UAE tank sale (worth over $3 billion) received a commission of nearly $200 million, and part of that sum may have been used to bribe officials.

The Leclerc’s primary armament is a 120 mm gun.