The European Main Battle Tank Development (FMBTech) project has been launched to develop the technologies behind the tank of the future
The Technologies for Existing and Future Main Battle Tanks (FMBTech) project has been officially launched. This European project aims to revolutionise Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) for modern hybrid warfare. Coordinated by Thales, the initiative brings together a consortium of 26 companies from 13 European Union (EU) Member States and Norway.
Funded by the European Commission under the European Defence Fund (EDF, 2023 edition) and the consortium, this three-year initiative will develop modular and adaptable solutions to ensure readiness for diverse and complex battlefields. By using innovative technology bricks, the project aims to build a future of agile, intelligent, and cooperative MBTs to address the limitations of aging fleets in the EU and Norway.
FMBTech positions the EU at the forefront of advanced, cutting-edge defence technologies, reinforcing military innovation and collaboration within European defence. The project will enhance the effectiveness, safety, and cost-efficiency of both existing and future MBTs, ensuring they remain pivotal assets on the battlefield while bridging the gap to emerging 5th-generation capabilities.
About FMBTech
A European Consortium with 26 participating entities, FMBTech features 8 SMEs and 7 RTOs from 13 EU Member States and Norway.
The FMBTech project was selected by the European Commission for funding under the European Defence Fund (EDF) in 2023. The project has been allocated a total budget of 鈧19 million.
The EDF is the Commission鈥檚 instrument for supporting research and development actions in the defence sector. Its main objectives are to foster cooperation between companies, including SMEs, and Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) throughout the Union, to promote the development of defence capabilities through investment, and to help EU companies develop advanced and interoperable defence technologies and equipment.
The partners are:
THALES SIX GTS FRANCE SAS France
ARQUUS France
C&V CONSULTING Belgium
CY4GATE SPA Italy
ENVIRONICS OY Finland
EIGHT BELLS HELLAS I.K.E Greece
GMV AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE SA Spain
GUARDIARIS RACUNALNISKE APLIKACIJE IN SIMULACIJE D.O.O Slovenia
HENSOLDT FRANCE SAS France
ISD AEROSPACE LIMITED Ireland
MBDA FRANCE France
MSM LAND SYSTEMS S.R.O Slovakia
KNDS France
O艢RODEK BADAWCZO-ROZWOJOWY URZ膭DZE艃 MECHANICZNYCH OBRUM SP. Z O.O. Poland
POLITECNICO DI MILANO Italy
SAFRAN ELECTRONICS & DEFENSE France
SAVOX COMMUNICATIONS OY Finland
SCERTAS GMBH Germany
SKYLD SECURITY AND DEFENCE LIMITED Cyprus
SOPRA STERIA AS Norway
TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OY Finland
THALES ITALIA SPA Italy
VETRONICS RESEARCH CENTRE EU LTD Cyprus
VOJENSK脻 V脻ZKUMN脻 脷STAV SP Czech Republic
WOJSKOWA AKADEMIA TECHNICZNA IM. JAROSLAWA DABROWSKIEGO Poland
WOJSKOWY INSTYTUT TECHNIKI PANCERNEJ I SAMOCHODOWEJ Poland
About Thales
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.
The Group invests more than 鈧4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.
Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of 鈧20.6 billion.
