PARIS — The French Army recently showcased its latest enhancement to the Leclerc XLR main battle tank, featuring a roof-mounted cage armor. This addition, initially ridiculed as “cope cages” when deployed by Russian forces during the early stages of their 2022 Ukraine invasion, has demonstrated its effectiveness in countering drone threats in contemporary warfare.
According to Gen. Olivier Coquet, head of the French Army’s technical section STAT, the cage prototype was developed in-house and is currently being produced by KNDS France. These protective cages are in the process of being distributed to tank units, as he explained at the Eurosatory defense show near Paris.
Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have incorporated roof-mounted armor variants, reflecting a broader trend in response to the increasing prevalence of drone threats.
The Leclerc’s enhancements are part of France’s Scorpion armored-vehicle modernization initiative. This program aims to equip the tank with advanced computing systems, additional protective measures, and a remotely operated turret to improve functionality in urban settings, as highlighted by Coquet. The Leclerc features a 120 mm cannon and an autoloader, managed by a crew of three.
With the Leclerc expected to retire by 2035, the French Army is preparing for an interim capability to bridge the transition to the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), which is anticipated around 2045, Coquet noted.
Gen. Philippe de Montenon, commander of French land forces and operations, indicated that the future MGCS would not simply replicate the Leclerc. “We already have some ideas, we know full well that it won’t be an exact copy of the Leclerc tank. There will be drones operating alongside it, and we know there will be a robotic element,” he stated during the briefing.
The MGCS is envisioned as a comprehensive, networked system incorporating artificial intelligence, with the interim capability acting as its foundational component, Coquet explained. “So that’s what we’re looking for,” he added.
