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86-608: The KF51 is based on the hull of the Leopard 2A4 , but with a new turret mounting an autoloaded 130 mm main gun . On 5 December 2022, Rheinmetall announced its plans to target mostly existing Leopard 2 operators with the KF51. Rheinmetall began the development of major subsystems for the Panther in 2016, with system-level design commencing in 2018. The Panther was developed as a private venture by Rheinmetall to demonstrate by 2026

172-644: A TikTok video that the Hungarian government would join in the development of the KF51. He stated, "We are producing Lynxes , purchasing Leopards , and participating in the development of the Panther." According to some news agencies, the Hungarian government was planning to invest €300 million into the development and production of the KF51 Panther tank. According to Armin Papperger, the CEO of Rheinmetall AG ,

258-597: A counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) capability. The KF51 can be also equipped with the HERO 120 loitering munition system . In June 2024, Rheinmetall presented the KF51-U at the Eurosatory defence fair. This is a Panther with an unmanned turret. The only three operators required for this tank sit in the hull just in front of the turret. The ammunition for the main weapon is fed via the autoloader from two magazines in

344-714: A digital fire control system , laser rangefinder , and advanced night vision and sighting equipment. The tank is powered by a V12 twin-turbo diesel engine made by MTU Friedrichshafen . In the 1990s, the Leopard 2 was used by the German Army on peacekeeping operations in Kosovo . In the 2000s, Dutch , Danish and Canadian forces deployed their Leopard 2 tanks in the War in Afghanistan as part of their contribution to

430-464: A distance of 1,500 m (4,900 ft). The Leopard 2A4's armour has a maximum physical thickness of 800 millimetres (31 in) based on unofficial measurements and estimates made by former conscripts and professional soldiers of the German army. On the Leopard 2A5 and subsequent models, the thickness is increased by the wedge-shaped armour module to 1,500 millimetres (59 in). The side and

516-639: A future Leopard 2 upgrade. In 1989, the Kampfwertsteigerung (combat potential improvement) programme was initiated in Germany with the delivery of first prototypes. The official military requirements were published in March 1990. The KWS programme was projected to consist of three stages. The first stage replaced the Rheinmetall 120 mm L/44 gun barrel and the corresponding gun mount with

602-607: A higher pressure 120 mm (4.7 in) gun firing new ammunition, expected to deliver 20 percent better performance than the L/55 . Mid-term efforts will focus on a Rheinmetall 130 mm (5.1 in) cannon concept offering 50 percent better armour penetration. With the Russian T-14 Armata being equipped with the Afghanit , an active protection system designed to mitigate the effectiveness of ATGM , more importance

688-404: A higher rate and supply chains are able to deliver sufficient materials. While previous models only varied in detail, the Leopard 2A4 introduced a digital ballistic computer and an improved fire extinguishing system. Starting with the sixth batch, tanks were fitted with an improved armour array and new side skirts. In 1984, the German military procurement agency stated a number of requirements for

774-851: A hull based on the Bergepanzer 3 chassis. On 3 July 2024, Rheinmetall and Leonardo announced they would establish a joint venture to produce KF51 tanks and Lynx IFVs as apart of the Italian Army's Main Battle Tank (MBT) and Armoured Infantry Combat System (AICS) programs. The joint venture would also assist in defining a roadmap for future involvement of both companies in the Main Ground Combat System project. In February 2023, Rheinmetall revealed they were in talks with Ukraine to supply KF51s (and Lynx IFVs) to Ukrainian army. Rheinmetall's CEO Armin Papperger said that

860-432: A longer barrelled and more lethal L/55 version. This stage was adopted in the form of 225 Leopard 2A6 tanks, starting in 2001 and lasting until 2005. Stage 2 focused on improvements of armour protection and survivability: it was adopted in the form of the Leopard 2A5, starting in 1995. The base armour of the tank was exchanged and additional armour modules were installed at the turret. The first batch of 225 Leopard 2 tanks

946-506: A maximum range of 500 km. The KF51 Panther is stated to have three layers of protection: passive, reactive and active. The innermost layer consists of all-welded steel armour covered by passive armour modules. The second layer comprises sensor-based reactive armour , while the final layer consists of Rheinmetall's StrikeShield active defence system (ADS) that Rheinmetall claims is capable of protecting against kinetic energy projectiles (KEPs) and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). It

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1032-410: A new derivative variant. The KF51 is based on the hull of the Leopard 2A4 and thus has a conventional MBT layout, with the driver at the front, the turret in the middle and the engine at the rear. The driver is seated in the front right of the hull and is provided with a single-piece hatch above their position in the roof of the glacis plate. A separate crew station can be provided in the left front of

1118-467: A new factory could be built in the country (with Rheinmetall estimating the cost of constructing a Ukrainian plant to be around €200 million) and the first delivery could be in 15 to 18 months, producing annually up to 400 Panther tanks. The plant would also need to be protected against air attacks from the ongoing 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . Experts have questioned this plan for unrealistically high production rates and insufficient investment for what

1204-482: A number of different companies. IBD Deisenroth has developed upgrades with MEXAS and Advanced Modular Armour Protection (AMAP) composite armour, the latter is being used on Singaporean and Indonesian Leopard 2 tanks. RUAG has developed an armour upgrade utilizing their SidePRO-ATR composite armour. This upgrade was first presented on the IAV 2013. Loitering munitions Too Many Requests If you report this error to

1290-409: A projected weight of MLC50 , which equals approximately 47.5 tonnes (46.7 long tons; 52.4 short tons). The welded turret utilised spaced armour formed by two steel plates. The prototypes were equipped with an EMES-12 optical rangefinder and fire control system, which later was adopted on the Leopard 1A4. In mid-1973 a new turret was designed by Wegmann saving 1.5 tonnes (1.7 short tons) in weight. It

1376-614: A result, the modification of the Leopard 2 prototypes in order to meet the US Army requirements was investigated. Following a number of further talks, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on December 11, 1974, between Germany and the US, which declared that a modified version of the Leopard 2 should be trialed by the US against their XM1 prototypes, after the Americans had bought and investigated prototype PT07 in 1973. The MoU obliged

1462-561: A tank jointly with France as a successor to both the Leopard 2 and Leclerc tanks. Technologies and concepts will be investigated to determine what capabilities are needed in a future tank. Deployment of the new tank, titled Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), will be preceded by incremental upgrades to the Leopard 2, including a new digital turret core system and situational awareness system and an active protection system (APS). A short-term lethality increase will come from

1548-560: A way that it would match the firepower requirements of the MBT-70. A high first-hit probability at ranges of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) and the ability to accurately engage targets on the move using a computerised fire control system were the main goals of the experimental development. The resulting vehicles were nicknamed Keiler ("tusker"). Two prototypes (ET 01 and ET 02) of the Keiler were built in 1969 and 1970, both of them being powered by

1634-441: Is available to carry an additional 10 rounds on the back of the vehicle outside of the hull and turret. The secondary armament consists of a coaxially mounted 12.7 mm machine gun. Rheinmetall's 'Natter' remote controlled weapon station (RCWS) with a 7.62 mm machine gun (can be elevated from −15˚ to +85˚ and can carry 2,500 rounds of ammunition) can be mounted on the rear of the turret roof to provide close-in defence and

1720-461: Is being placed on direct-fire weapons. The Leopard 2 uses spaced multilayer armour throughout the design. The armour consists of a combination of steel plates of different hardness, elastic materials, and other non-metallic materials. Steel plates with high hardness and high ductility are used. The armour is a result of extensive research about the formation and penetration mechanism of shaped charge jets. The Leopard 2's armour might be based on

1806-475: Is essentially still a concept weapon. In October 2023, a joint venture was signed between Rheinmetall and Ukroboronprom to establish an armoured vehicle repair and construction facility first to produce Fuchs vehicles within 6–7 months and Lynx IFVs within 12–13 months, with production of Panther KF51 to begin afterwards. It was unclear if that would be the same KF51 EVO version as to be developed in Hungary, or

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1892-511: Is fed by an autoloader that consists of two conveyor-based magazines with a capacity of ten rounds each. During a test firing in April 2022, the Rh-130 mounted on a test rig was able to fire three rounds in 16 seconds, though this included the time to perform safety checks. Two hatches are located in the turret sides to allow the autoloader's magazines to be replenished within five minutes. An option

1978-455: Is possible to mount the ADS on both the hull and the turret. The Panther is fitted with eight Rheinmetall Rapid Obscuring System (ROSY) smoke grenade launchers mounted in staggered rows of two behind the central camera housing on each side of the turret. It is possible to integrate sensors into the Panther that can detect the launch signature of ATGMs and anti-tank missiles and cue the crew towards

2064-741: The International Security Assistance Force . In the 2010s, Turkish Leopard 2 tanks saw action in Syria . Since 2023, Ukrainian Leopard 2 tanks are seeing action in the Russo-Ukrainian war . Even as the Leopard 1 was just entering service, the West German military was interested in producing an improved tank in the next decade. This resulted in the start of the MBT-70 development in cooperation with

2150-417: The 120 mm L/55A1 cannon (found also on the Leopard 2A7HU tank) and a hull derived from the Bergepanzer 3 'Büffel' chassis. Background: History of the tank , Tank classification Leopard 2#Leopard 2A4 The Leopard 2 is a third generation German main battle tank (MBT). Developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s, the tank entered service in 1979 and replaced the earlier Leopard 1 as

2236-499: The APU and the mechanical loading assistant. Due to the design and production of the Leopard 2AV taking more time than expected, the shipment to the US and the US evaluation was delayed. It was not possible to test the Leopard 2AV before 1 September 1976. Despite the German wish that the Leopard 2AV and the XM1 prototypes would be evaluated at the same time, the US Army decided not to wait for

2322-648: The British Burlington armour , which had already been demonstrated to West Germany in 1970. Later, in the mid-1970s, full details about Burlington were handed over to the West German government. The frontal arc of the Leopard 2's armour is designed to withstand large caliber kinetic energy penetrators and shaped charge projectiles. During the 1980s, it was estimated that the Leopard 2's front would resist 125 mm (4.9 in) armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) rounds fired from

2408-562: The Diehl tracks had a higher endurance, while the tracks used on the XM1 prototypes failed to meet the Army's requirements. The heat signature of the MTU diesel engine was much lower. The fire control system and the sights of the Leopard 2 were considered to be better and the 120 mm (4.7 in) gun proved to be superior. The projected production costs for one XM1 tank were US$ 728,000 in 1976, and

2494-497: The Federal Republic of Germany to send a complete prototype, a hull, a vehicle for ballistic tests and a number of special ballistic parts to the US, where they would be put through US testing procedures for no additional costs. The Leopard 2AV ( austere version ) was based on the experiences of the previous Leopard 2 development. It was created in order to meet the US requirements and the latest protection requirements of

2580-537: The German MoD. The T14 mod turret was used as the base for the Leopard 2AV's turret, but meeting the required level of protection for the hull required several attempts until the final ballistic trials on 23 to 26 June 1976. Following the US' preference of laser rangefinders , the turret of prototype PT19 was fitted with a laser rangefinder developed together with the American company Hughes . In comparison with

2666-540: The KF51 is a stabilised Rheinmetall Rh-130 L/52 130 mm smoothbore cannon that can be elevated from −9˚ to +20˚. Rheinmetall claims that this is capable of delivering between 18 and 20 megajoules (13,000,000 and 15,000,000 foot-pounds force) of energy onto a target and has a 50% longer effective range than Rheinmetall's 120 mm tank guns. The Rh-130 can fire armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) ammunition, programmable air burst high-explosive (HE) rounds and practice projectiles . The main gun

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2752-619: The Krupp Atlas Elektronik EMES-13 fire control system and the 120 mm (4.7 in) Rheinmetall gun. The Leopard 2AV fully met the US requirements. A study made by the American FMC Corporation showed that it was possible to produce the Leopard 2AV under licence in America without exceeding the cost limits set by the US Army. Before the trials were finished, it was decided that instead of

2838-413: The Leopard 1A4 with 105/120 mm smoothbore gun, improved armour protection, a new fire control system and a 890 kilowatts (1,190 hp) or 1,100 kilowatts (1,500 hp) engine. Various changes were applied to the Leopard 2 design before the series production started in 1979. The engine, transmission, and suspension were slightly modified and improved. The ballistic protection of the turret and hull

2924-609: The Leopard 2 was tested by MaK. The AGT-1500 was from the United States and required deep modifications to the Leopard 2's chassis. However, driving tests at the WTD 41 revealed a number of drawbacks such as high fuel consumption and the poor performance of the transmission including the brakes. This project was thus terminated. In January 1977 Germany ordered a small pre-series of three hulls and two turrets which were delivered in 1978. These vehicles had increased armour protection on

3010-492: The Leopard 2, the costs of the XM1 Abrams , U.S. prototype tank developed after the MBT-70, could be reduced. A German commission was sent to the US to evaluate the harmonisation of components between the XM1 and Leopard 2. However, under American law it was not possible for a public bidder to interfere in a procurement tender after a contract with intention of profits and deadline was awarded to private sector companies. As

3096-407: The Leopard 2. The first encompasses tanks produced up to the Leopard 2A4 standard and are characterised by their vertically faced turret armour. The second tranche, from Leopard 2A5 onwards, has an angled, arrow-shaped, turret appliqué armour , together with other improvements. The main armament of all Leopard 2 tanks is a smoothbore 120 mm cannon made by Rheinmetall . This is operated with

3182-516: The Leopard 2AV and tested the XM1 prototypes from Chrysler and General Motors beforehand. Two new prototype hulls and three turrets were shipped to the US: PT20 mounting a 105 mm (4.1 in) rifled L7 gun and a Hughes fire control system, PT19 with the same fire control system but able to swap out the gun for the 120 mm (4.7 in) Rheinmetall smoothbore gun, and the PT21 fitted with

3268-423: The Leopard design. The projected upgrades added an autoloader , a coaxial autocannon and an independent commander's periscope. The anti-air machine gun could be operated from inside the vehicle and a TV surveillance camera was mounted on an extendable mast. The shape of the turret and hull was optimised using cast steel armour, while the suspension, transmission, and engine exhaust vents were improved. Following

3354-468: The MB 872 engine. The MBT-70 was a revolutionary design, but after large cost overruns and technological problems, Germany withdrew from the project in 1969. After unsuccessful attempts at saving the MBT-70 by conceptual changes in order to eliminate the biggest issue—the driver being seated in the turret—it became clear in late 1969 that Germany would stop the bi-national development. The assistant secretary of

3440-417: The US Army possibly adopting the Leopard 2AV, the focus was shifted to the possibilities of common components between the two tanks. FMC, after having acquired the licenses for the production of the Leopard 2AV, decided not to submit a technical proposal, as they saw little to no chance for the US Army adopting a vehicle not developed in the US. The US Army evaluation showed that on the XM1 a larger portion of

3526-430: The United States beginning in 1963. However already in 1967 it became questionable whether the MBT-70 would enter service at any time in the foreseeable future. Therefore, the West German government issued the order to research future upgrade options for the Leopard 1 to the German company Porsche in 1967. This study was named vergoldeter Leopard ( Gilded Leopard ) and focused on incorporating advanced technology into

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3612-408: The XM1. Instead of using actual performance data, the calculated hypothetical acceleration was used. The XM1 was found to have a slightly higher rate of fire despite having internal layouts similar to the Leopard 2AV because the XM1 prototypes were manned by professional crews, while the Leopard 2AV had to be manned by conscripts in order to prove that the Leopard 2AV was not too complicated. Firing on

3698-481: The XM150 gun/launcher weapon of the MBT-70. In 1971, 17 prototypes were ordered but only 16 hulls were built as the production of hull PT12 was cancelled. Ten were ordered initially before another seven were ordered. The 17 turrets were designated T1 to T17, and the hulls were designated PT1 to PT11 and PT13 to PT17. To test a larger number of components and concepts, each prototype was fitted with components not found on

3784-404: The armour has been gradually improved over the years. A modified version of spaced multilayer armour was introduced beginning with the 97th vehicle of the 6th production batch. The same batch also introduced an improved type of heavy ballistic skirts. The Leopard 2A5 upgrade focused on increased armour protection. While upgrading a Leopard 2 tank to the Leopard 2A5 configuration, the roof covering

3870-483: The armour modules is cut open and new armour modules are inserted. New additional armour modules made of laminated armour cover the frontal arc of the turret. They have a distinctive arrowhead shape and improve protection against both kinetic penetrators and shaped charges. The side skirts also incorporate improved armour protection. A 25 mm (0.98 in) thick spall liner reduces the danger of crew injuries in case of armour penetration. The Leopard 2A7 features

3956-548: The costs for one Leopard 2AV were US$ 56,000 higher. After the American evaluation of the Leopard 2AV and the US Army's decision to opt for the XM1 Abrams, both American and German sources blamed the other side. US Army test officials discovered that the PT19 Leopard 2AV prototype used for mobility trials did not contain special armour. In Germany, the test conditions were criticised for being unrealistic and favouring

4042-491: The development based on the earlier Keiler project of the late 1960s, instead of finishing the development of the Eber . In 1971, the name of the design was determined as Leopard 2 with the original Leopard retroactively becoming the Leopard 1, and Paul-Werner Krapke became the project officer of the Leopard 2 program. Originally two versions were projected: the gun-armed Leopard 2K and the Leopard 2FK, which would be armed with

4128-542: The development contract was signed with the Hungarian government in early September 2023, with production of the KF51 Panther possibly planned in the newly constructed Rheinmetall factory in Zalaegerszeg . On 15 December 2023, Rheinmetall announced that the company had signed a contract worth €288 million with the Hungarian government to develop the Panther KF51 EVO variant with the 120 mm L/55A1 cannon and

4214-439: The driver's station. The bottles are connected to pipes and hoses and are activated automatically by the fire detection system when temperatures rise above 82 °C (180 °F) inside the fighting compartment, or manually via a control panel in the driver's compartment. An extra 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) halon fire extinguisher is stored on the floor beneath the main gun. Following Leopard 2's introduction into service in 1979,

4300-533: The earlier Leopard 2 prototypes, the fire control system was simplified by replacing the EMES-12 optical rangefinder and removing the crosswind sensor, the air pressure and temperature sensors, the powder temperature sensor, the PERI R12 commander sight with IR searchlight, the short-range grenade launcher for use against infantry, the retractable searchlight, the spotlight, the retractable passive night vision sight,

4386-554: The end of the Gilded Leopard study in 1967, the West German government decided to focus on the Experimentalentwicklung (experimental development) in a feasibility study and to develop new components for upgrading the Leopard 1 and for use on a future main battle tank programme. At first 25 million DM were invested, but after the industry came to the conclusion that with such a low budget the development of

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4472-469: The exception of Dutch Leopard 2s, which are equipped instead with a Dutch-designed smoke mortar system with six barrels on each side. Swedish Stridsvagn 122 utilises French GALIX smoke dispensers, similar to the system found on the French Leclerc. The Leopard 2 is equipped with a fire protection system. Four 9 kg (20 lb) halon fire extinguisher bottles are installed on the right behind

4558-498: The explosion and fire away from the crew. The crew is also protected against nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) threats, as the Leopard 2 is equipped with a Dräger NBC overpressurization system, which provides up to 4 hPA over-pressure inside the vehicle. Two groups of four Wegmann 76 mm (3.0 in) smoke mortars are mounted on either side of the turret and can be electrically fired either as single rounds or in salvos of four. They are mounted on most Leopard 2 models, with

4644-509: The flanks of the turret and hull, while slat armour can be adapted at the vehicle's rear. The armour modules provide protection against the RPG-7, which depending on the warhead can penetrate between 280 millimetres (11 in) and 600 millimetres (24 in) of steel armour. The Leopard 2A6M CAN increases protection against rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) by including additional slat armour . Additional armour packages have been developed by

4730-489: The front of the hull. One of the hulls was fitted with the earlier T21 turret and was used by the German army school in Munster for troop trials until 1979. In September 1977, 1,800 Leopard 2 tanks were ordered, to be produced in five batches. The main contractor was Krauss-Maffei, but Maschinenbau Kiel (MaK) was awarded a contract for producing 45% of the tanks. The first batch consisted of 380 tanks. The delivery of six tanks

4816-470: The hull (like mines with bending wire triggers) and explosively formed penetrator mines. The weight of the Leopard 2A6M is 62.5 tonnes (61.5 long tons; 68.9 short tons). The latest version of the tank is the Leopard 2A7, which entered service in an initial batch of 20 tanks in 2014. Already before the first Leopard 2A7 tank was handed over to the German Army, plans for upgrades were made. At this time an "extensive" increase in combat value, while retaining

4902-432: The hull for either a dedicated systems operator or a unit commander. Colour cameras for the driver are installed in the centre of the front and rear of the hull. Should the KF51 enter production, a new hull would be designed by Rheinmetall. Where the design of the KF51 departs from that of the preceding generation of Western MBTs is by the introduction of a new two-person turret fitted with an autoloaded main gun. The rear of

4988-547: The idler at the front and the drive sprocket at the rear. The road wheels are supported by torsion bar suspension with advanced friction dampers. The first, second, third, sixth, and seventh road wheels feature advanced friction dampers and hydraulic bump stops to dampen oscillations, with the fourth and fifth fitted with solid bump stops. The KF51 is fitted with an 82-link Defence Service Tracks 570F track of 635 mm width with rubber-bushed end connectors on each side. The Panther's maximum speed has not been disclosed, but it has

5074-436: The installation of a more powerful and more efficient engine; the integration of AI into the fire control system for automated target detection and identification; mounting an unmanned turret on the vehicle; and the creation of an unmanned version of the Panther. Efforts to make the tank more environmentally friendly could result in an alternative hull being developed for the Panther. In August 2023, Viktor Orban announced in

5160-442: The latest generation of passive armour and belly armour providing protection against mines and IEDs. The Leopard 2A7 is fitted with adapters for mounting additional armour modules or protection systems against RPGs. For urban combat, the Leopard 2 can be fitted with different packages of modular armour. The Leopard 2A4M CAN, Leopard 2 PSO (Peace Support Operations) and the Leopard 2A7 can mount thick modules of composite armour along

5246-420: The main battle tank of the West German army . Various iterations of the Leopard 2 continue to be operated by the armed forces of Germany , as well as 13 other European countries, and several non-European countries, including Canada, Chile, Indonesia, and Singapore. Some operating countries have licensed the Leopard 2 design for local production and domestic development. There are two main development tranches of

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5332-476: The military procurement division of the German Ministry of Defence suggested reusing as many technologies developed for the MBT-70 as possible in a further programme, which was nicknamed Eber ("boar") due to his being named Eberhardt. The Eber used a modified MBT-70 turret and hull, with the driver being seated in the hull. Only a wooden mock-up was made. One year later, a choice was made to continue

5418-467: The move was demonstrated on flat tracks, which nullified the better stabilization systems of the Leopard 2AV. Germany later withdrew its tank from consideration. The decision to put the Leopard 2 tank in production for the German army was made after a study was undertaken , which showed that adopting the Leopard 2 model would result in a greater combat potential of the German army than producing more Leopard 1A4 tanks or developing an improved version of

5504-461: The new thermal night-sight system, which was later retrofitted to the earlier models. After the original five batches, three further batches of Leopard 2 tanks were ordered, increasing the number of Leopard 2 tanks ordered by Germany to a total of 2125. The sixth batch was ordered in June 1987 and consisted of 150 tanks, which were produced between January 1988 and May 1989. The seventh batch of 100 tanks

5590-560: The original mobility of the Leopard 2, was planned. The optics of the tank will also be improved. In April 2015, Welt am Sonntag claimed that tungsten (wolfram) rounds used in Leopard 2 cannot penetrate the Russian T-90 or the modernized version of the T-80 . They also stated that the German military will develop a new improved round, but it will be exclusively developed for the Leopard 2A7. In 2015 Rheinmetall disclosed that it

5676-426: The other prototypes. Ten of the turrets were equipped with 105 mm (4.1 in) smoothbore guns and the other seven prototypes were equipped with a 120 mm (4.7 in) smoothbore gun. Hulls PT11 and PT17 were fitted with a hydropneumatic suspension based on the MBT-70 design. The running gears of these two hulls had only six road wheels. Different types of auxiliary power units (APUs) were mounted in

5762-451: The potential for increasing the lethality, mobility, survivability, and networking capabilities of MBTs without incurring a significant increase in weight. To reduce the weight of the Leopard 2A4 platform on which the development vehicle was based, Rheinmetall prioritised active over passive protection. Further developments under consideration for the vehicle include measures to make it more environmentally friendly during peacetime operations;

5848-404: The prototypes. All turrets were equipped with a machine gun for air defence, except the turret mounted on PT11, where a 20 mm (0.79 in) remotely operated autocannon was mounted. With the exception of hulls PT07, PT09, PT15, and PT17, all prototypes used the MB 873 engine. The road wheels were taken from the MBT-70 and the return rollers from the Leopard 1. The prototypes were designed with

5934-440: The rear of the tank protect against heavy machine guns, medium caliber rounds, and older types of tank ammunition. The side of the hull is covered by armour skirts to increase protection against projectiles and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) . The frontal third of the hull sides is covered by heavy ballistic skirts, while the rest of the hull sides is covered by steel-reinforced rubber skirts. For increased protection against mines,

6020-524: The rear of the turret, with ammunition supply in the tank consisting of 25 rounds. As secondary armament, the KF51-U has a coaxial 12.7 mm heavy machine gun. Introduced in June 2024, this variant combines the Panther KF51 turret with the Leopard 2A4 chassis. It is armed with Rheinmetall's 130 mm Future Gun System (FGS) cannon, a 12.7 mm coaxial machine gun and a 'Natter' RCWS equipped with a 7.62 mm machine gun. The variant to be built in Hungary, with

6106-419: The sides of the hull floor are sloped by 45° and the floor is reinforced with corrugations. The Leopard 2's design follows the concept of compartmentation. Possible sources of fire or explosions have been moved away from the crew. In the turret, the ammunition and the hydraulics are located in compartments separated from the crew. In case of a detonation, the blow-off panels on the compartment roofs will direct

6192-445: The tank's surface was covered by special armour (composite armour arrays) than on the Leopard 2AV. Differences in armour protection were attributed to the different perceptions of the expected threats and the haste in which the Leopard 2AV was designed to accommodate special armour. On mobility trials the Leopard 2AV performed equal to better than the XM1 prototypes. The AGT-1500 turbine engine proved to consume about 50% more fuel and

6278-400: The threat. The Panther can be fitted with Rheinmetall's Top Attack Protection System (TAPS), comprising a hard-kill element of extending the coverage of the ADS to the roof of the vehicle for protection against ATGMs and unguided anti-tank rockets launched from higher elevations, as well as a soft-kill element for protection against threats such as loitering munitions. The primary armament of

6364-407: The turret houses the magazines for the main gun's automatic loader and pods for loitering munitions if these have been equipped. There are housings for cameras on all four corners of the turret and in the middle of each side of the turret. The Panther has a combat weight of 59 tonnes, making it lighter than most Western MBTs developed prior to 2022. The engine, tracks and most of the running gear of

6450-419: The two projected testbeds was not possible, a total of 30 to 32 million DM was invested. The experimental development was contracted to the company Krauss-Maffei, but with the obligation to cooperate with Porsche for the development of the chassis and with Wegmann for the development of the turret. Two prototypes with different components were built with the aim of improving the conception of Leopard 1 in such

6536-413: The vehicle are also believed to have been derived from those of the Leopard 2A4. The Leopard 2A4's motor is an MTU MB 873 Ka-501 water-cooled V12 diesel engine producing 1,479 hp at 2,600 rpm, coupled to a Renk HSWL 354 four-speed automatic transmission. The running gear of Leopard 2A4 consists of seven dual-tired rubber road wheels and four rubber-tired offset track return rollers on each side, with

6622-534: Was chosen over the passive EMES-13 rangefinder. The EMES-13 system was considered to be the superior solution, but the Hughes system was cheaper and fully developed. The German company Krupp-Atlas-Elektronik acquired the licence of the Hughes design and modified it to meet the needs of the German army. The modified rangefinder received the designation EMES-15. The installation of the US AGT-1500 turbine engine in

6708-514: Was demanded in late 1973 and the Spitzmaus-Turm was never produced. The weight limit was increased from MLC50 to MLC60, which equals approximately 55 tonnes (54 long tons; 61 short tons). The T14 turret was modified to test a new armour configuration, taking on a blockier-looking appearance as a result of using vertical modules of spaced multilayer armour . It was also used to test the new EMES-13 optical rangefinder. The modified T14 turret

6794-454: Was designated T14 mod . and was fitted with a fully electric turret drive and stabilization system, which was developed jointly by General Electric and AEG Telefunken . In July 1973 German Federal Minister of Defence Georg Leber and his US counterpart James R. Schlesinger agreed upon a higher degree of standardisation in main battle tanks being favourable to NATO. By integrating components already fully developed by German companies for

6880-467: Was developing a new 130 mm (5.1 in) smoothbore gun for the Leopard 2 tank and its successor. This gun will offer a 50% increase in performance and penetration. Marketing for the new gun was slated to begin in 2016. The Leopard 2 first entered service in 1979, and its service life is anticipated to end around 2030. In May 2015, the German Ministry of Defence announced plans to develop

6966-504: Was improved and weak spots were eliminated. The turret bustle containing the ready ammunition racks and the hydraulic system was separated from the crew compartment and fitted with blowout panels. The development of several new components was introduced to the Leopard 2 during the Leopard 2AV development and after the US testing was completed. For the series version, the Hughes-designed laser rangefinder made with US Common Modules

7052-527: Was nicknamed the Spitzmaus-Turm (shrew turret) due to the highly sloped front. This design was only possible with the new EMES-13 optical rangefinder, which required a base length of only 350 millimetres (14 in) instead of the previous 1,720 millimetres (68 in). Based on experiences in the Yom Kippur War , a higher level of protection than the prototypes' heavily sloped spaced armour

7138-487: Was produced between May 1988 and April 1990. The last batch for the German army totalling 75 tanks was produced from January 1991 to March 1992. During its production run during the Cold War, 16 Leopard 2 tanks were being produced per month. The vehicles were produced at a slower rate in the following decades, however KMW still retained the capacity to return to such manufacturing levels should they need to be made again at

7224-505: Was projected. It was never finalised, but the 140 mm (5.5 in) NPzK tank gun was tested on an older prototype. In 1995, it was decided to cancel due to changes in the political environment. The funds were redirected to the Neue Gepanzerte Plattformen (New Armoured Platforms) project of the German army. The Leopard 2A6M was developed with a kit providing enhanced protection against mines that can detonate below

7310-499: Was scheduled for 1979, 114 for 1980, 180 for 1981, and 300 tanks each following year. The first series-production tank was delivered on 25 October 1979. By 1982, all of the first batch of 380 Leopard 2 tanks had been completed. 209 were built by Krauss-Maffei (chassis no. 10001 to 10210) and 171 by MaK (chassis no. 20001 to 20172). The first production tanks were fitted with the PzB-200 image intensifier due to production shortages of

7396-491: Was upgraded to Leopard 2A5 configuration between 1995 and 1998; a second batch of 125 followed from 1999 to 2002. The third stage was the planned replacement of the Leopard 2 turret by a new turret fitted with a 140 mm (5.5 in) NPzK tank gun, an autoloader, and the IFIS battlefield management system. The ballistic protection at the hull was to be improved. Originally a total requirement for 650 Leopard 2 tanks with KWS 3

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