All forces face the question, “How will we fight in the future?” Recent conflicts have highlighted the rapidly changing nature of warfare, from the doctrinal to the tactical, due to quickly changing and accessible technologies combined with their imaginative but practical employment. In preparation for the International Armoured Vehicles Conference 2025, we have had the privilege of having Colonel Armin Dirks, Head of Operations of the Combined Project Team of Main Ground Combat System, share his thoughts on this question. As one of the leading figures in bringing the next generation's main battle tank into a reality, few people are in a better position to determine the future of armoured warfare. To answer the question of “How will we fight in the future?”, we have asked the following subset of questions:

• What are some of the everlasting challenges versus new challenges that forces face?
• Considering the trends we have seen on recent battlefields, are there any calls to rethink aspects of modern armoured warfare rather than simply evolving the thought behind it?
• Modern thought on armoured vehicle requirements has shifted from the “Iron Triangle” (Protection, Firepower, and Mobility) to the “Steel Hexagon” (Lethality, Autonomy, Adaptability, Connectivity, Survivability, and Mobility). What are your thoughts on the implications of this for capabilities?