French defense contractor Nexter has developed a new version of the Leclerc main battle tank In line with the roadmap for the sustainability and renovation of the French Army’s main combat vehicle.
For the first time, Nexter publicly unveiled the new version of the Leclerc tank at the Eurosatory 2022 defense exhibition in Paris.
As noted by the company, the renovation of the Leclerc, also known as the XLR program, represents a new stage for the tank, which is equipped with new functions and it is the biggest upgrade of the tank in over a decade.
The company announced in a press release that since its first entry into employment, the Leclerc XLR already has a level of functionality and performance that other main battle tanks of its generation are just beginning to implement through their respective modernization programs.
The Leclerc tank was integrated into the SCORPION joint battle group (JBG) via vetronics systems that are common to the various platforms (supplied by Thales). Thanks to the SCORPION information and communication system (SICS) and the new CONTACT radio, the Leclerc tank will be fully integrated into the collaborative combat environment.
Finally, the armament was also upgraded with the installation of a remotely operated turret armed with a 7.62 mm caliber.