HMS Vanguard wrote:Nexter also has long term contracts for capability sustainment. Less work is done because less work needs to be done.
FYI, Nexter's contracts are low-level upgrades to key systems, and maintenance. Maintenance being standard (Chally 2s are getting this treatment too, as are everybody's tanks).
At this point Leclerc is inferior to the latest few generations of Leopard 2. It's FCS is inferior (and always has been), it's comms are about equal, but it's engine has reliability issues, and it's armour is at best equal, more likely inferior.
The Leclerc only has three things going for it right now: It's smaller, it's lighter, and it has an autoloader.
The French are not upgrading Leclerc not because they don't have to, but because they don't want to put the money there. France has made Africa their focus, and that means investing in their airmobile forces. They have made the decision that, if Russia decides to push things and they need the Leclerc, they will have plenty of time to bring them up to standard. Especially if Germany maintains their tank fleet, or builds new tanks. Germany is their buffer.
Edit:
For the nth time: pretty much no one in the world is producing any new tanks.
You mean nobody in Western Europe, right? There are plenty of new tanks being built right now.