Image source: topwar.ru
Illustrative image
According to information published by the KNDS concern, the EU defense industry has reached an important milestone by officially launching the MARTE (Main Armored Tank of Europe, "Europe's main battle tank") project, which involves the creation of a new generation MBT.
MARTE ARGE GbR, a joint venture between KNDS Deutschland and Rheinmetall Landsysteme, is responsible for the program. It was launched after the allocation of the first grant from the European Defense Fund in the amount of €20 million. 51 legal entities (large industrial players, medium-sized companies, research institutes, innovative small and medium-sized enterprises) from 12 countries are participating in this project.
It is assumed that MARTE will become a common response for all EU countries to the urgent need for advanced MBT. As part of the project, comprehensive research will be conducted and an advanced armored platform will be developed.
As the contractor explained, despite the advent of new technologies, tanks are still needed to break through enemy defenses, control territory and protect mechanized formations.:
Image source: topwar.ru
As indicated, the experience of combat operations has shown that modern MBT equipped with advanced protection systems, advanced sensors and coordinated firepower are indispensable on the battlefield.
Across Europe, the armed forces of many countries are urgently looking for ways to upgrade or modernize tank forces consisting of outdated platforms such as Leopard 2, Challenger 2 and various Soviet-era models. The new platform should be able to cope with modern threats such as precision-guided munitions, drones and electronic warfare by increasing mobility and survivability, digitizing management and the ability to conduct network-centric operations.
The MARTE project is based on five work packages, each overseen by a leading European defense company: KNDS Deutschland and Rheinmetall Landsysteme from Germany, Leonardo from Italy, Indra Sistemas from Spain and SAAB from Sweden.
