At the Eurosatory 2026 arms show in Paris, the French army presented an upgraded Leclerc XLR tank fitted with a metal top cage to defend against attacking drones. The concept, mocked online when Russian tanks first used similar cages at the start of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, has since been adopted more seriously as drone threats have grown, including by the IDF in improvised form.
Gen. Olivier Koka, head of technical development for the French army, said the protection prototype was developed by an army research unit and that serial production has already begun at KNDS France. He said the systems are now being delivered to armored brigades. The Leclerc XLR is part of France’s Scorpion modernization program, which also adds new computers, extra armor and a remote weapon station for urban combat.
The tank keeps its 120 mm gun, automatic loader and three-person crew, and the XLR version also includes improved modular armor, Galix close protection for smoke and deception, protection against mines and explosive charges, and electronic warfare systems to jam remotely controlled threats. French officials said the cage is meant to increase the gap between a drone warhead and the tank armor, disrupt the impact angle and sometimes trigger detonation before the explosive reaches the turret roof. But they acknowledged it is only a passive defense and skilled FPV operators can evade it by attacking from the side, rear or below the cage.
The article also notes that the IDF has used similar improvised solutions after the October 7 attack, including nets and protective cages on Merkava tanks, and later on vehicles and positions in southern Lebanon to counter Hezbollah drone strikes. French planners are already looking beyond the Leclerc, which is expected to reach the end of its operational life around 2035. Its successor, the Franco-German MGCS project, is expected to enter service only around 2045. Gen. Philip de Montenon said the next vehicle will not be a direct copy of the Leclerc and will operate alongside drones and robotic elements, while Koka said it will definitely not be “just a tank” but a networked system with artificial intelligence.
