德国已决定退出与法国共同研发未来主战坦克的项目，法国国防参谋长法比安·曼东将军周四在法国广播公司BFMTV报道中表示。
Germany has decided to withdraw from a project with France to develop a future battle tank, French Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Fabien Mandon said Thursday, the French broadcaster BFMTV reported.
“德国人决定退出该项目，”他在提到主地面作战系统（MGCS）时说。
“The Germans have decided to leave the project,” he said, referring to the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS).
“这并非完全失败，而是德国的一个重要选择。我们的陆军部队多年来一直在共同考虑未来主战坦克应是什么样子，”他在国民议会听证会上说。
“This is not a complete failure, it is an important German choice. Our land forces have worked together for several years to consider what a future battle tank should be,” he said at a National Assembly hearing.
曼东强调，这项工作已经确立了坦克的主要原则，同时承认退出“从工业角度来看不是好消息”。MGCS计划于2017年启动，旨在用以新坦克为中心的地面作战系统取代法国的勒克莱尔和德国的豹2坦克。
Mandon stressed that the work had established the tank’s main principles, while acknowledging that the withdrawal was “not good news from an industrial point of view.”The MGCS program was launched in 2017 to replace France’s Leclerc and Germany’s Leopard 2 tanks with a ground combat system centered on a new tank.
该项目面临延误以及在工业分工、融资和技术选择上的分歧，部署时间被推迟至2040年或2045年，广播公司报道。
The project has faced delays and disagreements on industrial work-sharing, financing and technological choices, with deployment pushed toward 2040 or 2045, the broadcaster reported.
曼东表示，法国仍需要重型作战能力，强调坦克火力的持续相关性。
Mandon said France still needed a heavy combat capability, emphasizing the continued relevance of tank firepower.
他呼吁采用包括机器人、人工智能和更大数据共享的互补平台，可能需要更少的人员来操作。
He urged complementary platforms incorporating robots, artificial intelligence and greater data sharing, potentially requiring fewer personnel to operate.
“我们将在2038年开始逐步撤出勒克莱尔。2027年，我们必须启动研究，以准备好迎接这一期限，”他说。
“We will have a gradual withdrawal of the Leclerc starting in 2038. In 2027, we must launch the studies to be ready for this deadline,” he said.
此宣布标志着法德防务合作的又一次挫折，距未来作战空中系统项目的失败仅四个月后。
The announcement marks another setback for Franco-German defense cooperation, coming four months after the failure of the Future Combat Air System project.
该项目同样于2017年启动，涉及西班牙，旨在开发下一代战斗机，以在2040年代取代阵风和欧罗巴战斗机。
That program, also launched in 2017 and involving Spain, was intended to develop a next-generation fighter aircraft to replace the Rafale and Eurofighter sometime in the 2040s.