Germany and France appear to be discarding the core premise of tightly joint development for their Main Ground Combat System (MGCS). With the Franco-German fighter-jet effort already collapsing, officials and industry voices say the tank program is facing similar tensions. The disagreement centers on how much each country can prioritize its own operational needs—Germany’s focus on protection and firepower for the eastern flank versus France’s preference for lighter, rapidly deployable solutions. Germany says development will continue in a “platform-independent” way.