Why The Leclerc Main Battle Tank Is One Of The Most Expensive In The World

Most nations with armies have tanks, and France is no exception. French tanks have rolled across the battlefields of Europe for decades, and the most recent addition to those ranks is the Leclerc Main Battle Tank, having replaced the AMX-30. The Leclerc is a third-generation French tank that operates in France and several other nations, including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

The Leclerc has a lot going for it, which makes it decisive on the battlefield, but its most intriguing aspect is cost. The Leclerc is one of the most expensive tanks in the world, costing approximately $17.3 million per unit as of 2022. That may not sound like much, given how much military hardware costs, but for a tank, it's steep.

For comparison, the U.S. military's M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank costs around $10 million, depending on the configuration, training, and sustainment costs. That's a big difference, and you can almost purchase two M1s for a single Leclerc. There are several reasons why the Leclerc is one of the most expensive tanks ever built, including a modernization program, a bribery scheme surrounding its sale to the UAE, and the limited number of tanks France produced. 

The Leclerc Main Battle Tank weighs in at between 54.5 and 57.4 tons, depending on configuration and series. There have been three series of Leclerc tanks since its introduction, and each new version incorporates advanced systems and technology meant to counter anti-tank weapons. Its main armament is a GIAT CN120-26/52 120mm smoothbore tank gun fed via autoloader. Each tank carries 40 rounds for its primary weapon.

The Leclerc's secondary armament consists of a 12.7mm coaxial M2HB machine gun and a 7.62 mm machine gun, each with several thousand rounds of ammunition. The tank has an operational range of 404 miles with an external fuel tank, or 342 miles without the additional tank, and it can reach maximum speeds of 44 mph on the road and 34 on rough terrain, making it comparable in speed to Germany's Leopard 2 MBT.

The Leclerc is protected by several components, including modular composite armor, semi-reactive armor layers, a reduced infrared signature, and passive countermeasures. As of 2024, the Leclerc has seen combat in the Yemeni Civil War, fighting on the side of the UAE, where it hasn't fared well against anti-tank mines, rocket-propelled grenades, and other offensive means that have taken several UAE tanks off the battlefield.

One of the main reasons France spends so much on a single Leclerc MBT is economy of scale. When the U.S. builds a tank, it spends billions on research and development, and then purchases thousands of vehicles. This brings the total cost per unit down to a more manageable amount. On the other hand, France has only built 406 tanks, while the U.S. built 4,800 M1 Abrams tanks during production.

While the U.S. invested more money, it could pay less per tank than France, which had to deal with the economy of scale. It's the same reason you can buy more toilet paper for less money at a warehouse store — you end up paying less per roll than you would at a supermarket. It sounds strange, but it's the same with everything, including tanks.

Another reason the Leclerc is so expensive is because of France's sale of hundreds of tanks to the UAE. The arms deal included a $235 million commission to an intermediary who gave that money to UAE officials. This wasn't illegal, but it ate up more than 6% of the total cost of the deal, resulting in additional bribery costs and bad press when the deal came to light. Additional costs from a $6.8 billion modernization program of 200 tanks hasn't kept costs down, making the Leclerc one of the costliest tanks operating in the world today.