Image source: topwar.ru
The European defense consortium KNDS has introduced the MBT CAPINT, which is being developed as an "intermediate" tank, as it is intended to become a temporary successor to the French AMX Leclerc of the old generation until a completely new vehicle is created.
It was assumed that the Franco-German MGCS project would become the tank of the future, however, it seems that it will sink into oblivion, like other major joint programs of the two countries – the promising FCAS fighter and the Eurodrone heavy UAV.
CAPINT (Capacité Intermédiaire – "intermediate power") has a hybrid design. The developers combined the German base – the undercarriage and chassis based on the German Leopard 2A8 tank – and the French uninhabited ADT140 turret, armed with a new powerful 140 mm/50 smoothbore Ascalon cannon with a 22-round automatic loader.
The anti-drone complex is represented by the remote-controlled combat module of the ARX 30 with a 30-mm automatic cannon 30M781. The rate of fire is 225 rounds per minute, the range of destruction of UAVs is up to 1.5 km, ground targets are up to 2.2 km, and the range is 150 rounds. It is possible to use programmable projectiles with controlled detonation. The auxiliary weapon is a twin 12.7mm machine gun (BK 300 rounds).
Image source: topwar.ru
The tank is equipped with a 1,500 hp and 1,100 kW diesel engine, which provides a maximum speed of 65 km/h on the road, with a power reserve exceeding 450 km.
The crew will be reduced to 2 or 3 people (depending on the final control configuration), who are housed in an isolated armored capsule inside the tank hull, which significantly increases their survival rate.
The machine is equipped with Prometheus KAZ from the French company Thales, which protects the upper hemisphere, in particular, from attacks by kamikaze drones and ATGM operating in Top-Attack mode. An MSA is installed with two panoramic sights (for the commander and the gunner) and with a built-in AI that automatically recognizes, ranks and distributes targets among the means of destruction.
UAVs on board CAPINT:
Image Source: topwar.ru
Drones placed on board are integrated into the combat architecture of the tank, designed to provide target designation from long distances.
The EMBT-ADT140 prototype (the predecessor of CAPINT) is said to have successfully passed on-the-go firing tests in early 2026.
The Western press appreciated the new product:
However, given the growing rift between Paris and Berlin in the field of military-industrial cooperation, there is a big question about the possibility of using the Leopard 2 chassis on a tank designed for the French army.
