French Army Unveils Leclerc Tank with Battle-Proven Anti-Drone Cage Armor
At the Eurosatory defense show near Paris, the French Army unveiled an upgraded Leclerc XLR main battle tank fitted with roof-mounted cage armor—initially mocked as "cope cages" on Russian tanks in 2022 but now proven effective against drones. Prototyped by the French Army technical section and manufactured by KNDS France, the upgrade is part of the Scorpion program, adding new computers, armor, and a remotely operated turret. The Leclerc is slated for retirement by 2035, with an interim capability bridging to the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), a networked AI and robotic system expected around 2045.
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French Army Deploys Leclerc Tank with Anti-Drone Cage Armor Once Mocked as 'Cope Cages'
The French Army has unveiled an upgraded Leclerc XLR main battle tank fitted with roof-mounted cage armor, a protective measure initially derided as 'cope cages' when seen on Russian tanks early in the Ukraine war but now recognized as effective against drone threats. The prototype was built by the French Army technical section (STAT) and is now being manufactured by KNDS France for delivery to tank units, as announced by Gen. Olivier Coquet at the Eurosatory defense show. The Leclerc XLR is part of France's Scorpion modernization program, featuring new computers, additional armor, and a remotely operated turret. The Leclerc is expected to reach end of service by 2035, with an interim capability needed before the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) arrives around 2045. French generals emphasized that the MGCS will be a networked system of systems with AI and robotic elements, not just a tank.
C4ISRNetFrench Army unveils Leclerc tank with anti-drone cage armor, once mocked as 'cope cages'
The French Army showcased an upgraded Leclerc XLR main battle tank fitted with roof-mounted cage armor at the Eurosatory defense show near Paris. The protective measure, initially mocked as 'cope cages' when seen on Russian tanks early in the Ukraine war, has proven effective against drone threats and is now used by both Russian and Ukrainian forces. The cage was prototyped by the French Army technical section (STAT) and is being manufactured by KNDS France for delivery to tank units. The Leclerc XLR upgrade is part of France's Scorpion program, adding new computers, additional armor, and a remotely operated turret for urban operations. The Leclerc is expected to reach end of service by 2035, with an interim capability planned to bridge to the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), now expected around 2045. French generals stated the MGCS will be a networked system with AI and robotic elements, not just a tank.
Defense NewsFrench Army unveils Leclerc tank with anti-drone cage armor
The French Army showcased an upgraded Leclerc XLR main battle tank fitted with roof-mounted cage armor at the Eurosatory defense show near Paris. This protective measure, once mocked as 'cope cages' when first seen on Russian tanks early in the Ukraine war, has proven effective against drone threats and has been adopted by both Russian and Ukrainian forces. The cage armor prototype was built by the French Army technical section and is now being manufactured by KNDS France for delivery to tank units. The Leclerc XLR upgrade is part of France's Scorpion modernization program, adding new computers, additional armor, and a remotely operated turret. The Leclerc is expected to reach end of service by 2035, with an interim capability planned to bridge the gap until the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) arrives around 2045. French generals stated the MGCS will be a networked system of systems with AI and robotic elements, not just a tank.
Defense NewsFrench Army Unveils Leclerc Tank with Anti-Drone Cage Armor
The French Army showcased an upgraded Leclerc XLR main battle tank fitted with roof-mounted cage armor at the Eurosatory defense show near Paris. The protective measure, once derided on social media as 'cope cages' when first seen on Russian tanks in 2022, has since proven effective against drone threats on the modern battlefield. The cage prototype was built by the French Army technical section and is now being manufactured by KNDS France for delivery to tank units. The Leclerc upgrade is part of France's Scorpion armored-vehicle modernization program, including new computers, additional armor, and a remotely operated turret. The Leclerc is expected to reach end of service by 2035, with an interim capability planned before the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) arrives around 2045. French generals indicated the MGCS will be a networked system of systems with AI and robotic elements.
C4ISRNetFrench Army Deploys Leclerc Tank with Anti-Drone Cage Armor, Once Mocked on Russian Tanks
The French Army has unveiled an upgraded Leclerc XLR main battle tank fitted with a roof-mounted metal cage armor designed to protect against drone threats. Originally derided as 'cope cages' when seen on Russian tanks early in the Ukraine war, such protective measures have since been adopted by both Russian and Ukrainian forces as drone warfare proliferates. The prototype cage was built by the French Army technical section (STAT) and is now being manufactured by KNDS France for delivery to tank units. The Leclerc XLR upgrade is part of France's Scorpion armored-vehicle modernization program, adding new computers, additional armor, and a remotely operated turret for urban operations. The Leclerc is expected to reach end-of-service by 2035, with an interim capability planned to bridge the gap until the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) arrives around 2045. French generals indicated the MGCS will be a networked system of systems incorporating artificial intelligence and robotic elements, with the interim tank serving as its first building block.
Defense NewsFrench Army Unveils Leclerc Tank with Anti-Drone Cage, Once Mocked but Now Battle-Proven
The French Army displayed an upgraded Leclerc XLR main battle tank equipped with a roof-mounted cage armor at the Eurosatory defense show. Initially mocked as 'cope cages' when seen on Russian tanks in 2022, such armor has proven effective against drones on modern battlefields. The prototype, built by the French Army technical section and now manufactured by KNDS France, is being delivered to tank units. The Leclerc XLR upgrade is part of France's Scorpion modernization program, adding new computers, additional armor, and a remotely operated turret. The Leclerc is expected to retire by 2035, with an interim capability planned to bridge to the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), a networked system with AI and robotic elements, anticipated around 2045.
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