France likely to offer Nexter's Leclerc MBT to India

In June 2021, 12 companies supplying MBTs received RFIs (requests for infromation) from the Indian government. The RFI was related to India's ongoing FRCV (Future Ready Combat Vehicle) project. The plan was to supply a number of 1770 FRCV tanks to the Indian Army to replace the aging T-72S tanks (export T-72Bs).

Only last week, the French government had informed the National Assembly, France's lower house of parliament, that they supported Nexter's industrial proposal for India. The FRCV project had envisioned manufacturing with a so-called "strategic partner".

On the 28th December, 2021, lawmaker and National Assembly deputy Nichlas Dupont-Aignan queried in response to question regarding India's FRCV (Future Ready Combat Vehicle) project.

Mentioning the fact only 200 Leclerc MBTs were being upgraded for use into the 2040s, “During the next 20 years, nothing is planned to properly augment the French Army’s heavy land combat means,” he said.

He had also mentioned the fact that, had the proposal won, the Leclerc would have its “buying price extremely competitive, both for the Indian and French forces as well as for export”. He argued that France needed at least 400 tanks, and also implied that the Leclerc's specialised utility/other models (Command vehicles, artillery vehicles, SPAAG vehicles, etc etc) could be shared with India.

The French government responded to Dupont-Aignan by saying that they would pay close attention to any synergies “that may exist between the needs of the Indian military and our national interests”.

The Leclerc is a fairly modern tank, arguably one of the best.


Source: EurAsian Times (extremely confusing to read, I used the next source more), IDRW

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