MGCS Project Company GmbH: A New Era Begins in Cologne
The subsequent milestone has now been achieved in the Franco-German defense initiative Main Ground Combat System (MGCS). Following the authorization from the German Federal Cartel Office, KNDS Deutschland, KNDS France, Rheinmetall Landsysteme, and Thales officially established the ‘MGCS Project Company GmbH’ on 10 April 2025 in Cologne. Dipl. Ing. Dipl. Wirt. Ing. and Colonel (G.S. German Army Reserve) Stefan Gramolla has been selected as the managing director.
The establishment of the company signifies another crucial advancement in the MGCS initiative. After the imminent negotiation of an agreement with the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), which operates on behalf of the two nations via a Franco-German Combined Project Team (CPT), this project company will take charge of executing the next stage of the MGCS program as the primary industrial contractor. Specifically, it will reinforce the concept and the core technological foundations of the system.
Initiated by the French and German administrations, the MGCS project is designed to supplant the Leopard 2 and Leclerc primary battle tanks with a versatile ground combat system by 2040.
