Notes: The
German Army after World War 2 was originally equipped with surplus US tanks,
particularly the M-47 and M-48A2 at the time development of the Leopard began.
However, the German concepts of tank use in combat began to diverge more
and more from the US concepts, and by the 1950s, they felt that the M-47 and
M-48A2 were not compatible with German concepts.
The German Army’s concepts were to rely on speed and agility for primary
protection, together with a more powerful main gun than used by those tanks;
they also wanted to be able to use the standard bridges in Europe, as well as
not destroy the roads with their tracks due to weight while they were training.
In 1957, they ordered the development of what would become the Leopard 1.
At first, this tank was to be a Franco-German-Italian project, but by
1963, the French, Germans and Italians went their own ways due to differences in
design philosophy, though the Italians would later buy the Leopard.
(Also by 1963, the Germans realized that they could not stop the upward
slide in weight, only keep the weight down as much as possible.)
The first prototype appeared in 1961 and issue started in 1965.
Though replaced in German service starting in 1979 by the Leopard 2, many
countries are still using Leopard 1s as of 2009.
The Leopard 1
has a conventional crew layout, with the driver to the front left side, the
commander on the right of the turret below and to the right of him, and the
loader with a hatch on the left side of the turret.
Alongside the driver is a large bin or ready ammunition for the main gun.
The driver has three vision blocks allowing vision to the front and
partially to each side. The Leopard
1 has a rare feature among tanks – the commander has auxiliary driving controls,
and can drive the Leopard 1 from his cupola, if in a somewhat awkward fashion.
He also has auxiliary controls for the main gun.
The commander’s cupola has seven vision blocks giving him a 360-degree
view, and he has a 20x periscope on the turret roof itself that can be rotated
independently of the cupola and allows day/night vision.
The commander’s hatch can be fully open, fully closed, or locked into a
position that allows the commander to peek out at his surroundings, but is only
open a little. The periscope has an
aiming reticule for use when firing his machinegun from under armor or for when
he is using the main gun. (In the
latter case, an image of the gunner’s aiming reticule is projected onto the
periscope.)
The turret of
the Leopard 1 is cast except for the roof, which is a plate of armor that is
welded on. (The position and design
of the gunner’s sight required a flat roof, something that would not have been
possible with an all-cast roof; the flat roof incidentally saved some weight.)
The Leopard 1
has a fully automatic transmission. The engine is a Daimler-Benz DB-838
830-horsepower supercharged diesel which can also run on JP4 jet fuel.
The engine and transmission is combined into one powerpack that can be
removed as a unit. The suspension
is optimized for some of the roughest terrain around. The tracks are
US-designed, but can be replaced with German-designed anti-skid tracks.
In either case, the tracks have rubber track pads.
The original
intention was to arm the Leopard 1 with a Rheinmetall-designed 105mm gun, but
Rheinmetall had a hard time in development and fell way behind.
As a result, the Germans chose a modification of the British L-7A3 105mm
gun, produced under license by Rheinmetall.
A variant of the MG-3 is the coaxial machinegun, and the commander has a
standard pintle-mounted MG-3 as his armament.
Four smoke grenade launchers are on either side of the turret, attached
to the forward side of the bustle rack on both sides.
A pintle mount for a further MG-3 machinegun can be mounted in front of
the loader’s hatch, but in practice this is rarely done.
Turret rotation is electro-hydraulic with a manual backup; the rotation
system is made by Westinghouse and is the same as used on the M-48 and M-60
series of tanks. A relatively-small
searchlight can be mounted above the main gun if desired.
The Leopard
1A1
The second,
third and fourth batches of Leopard 1s were improved Leopard 1A1s.
The most important update was the replacement of the electro-hydraulic
gun stabilization with an all-electric system designed by Cadillac-Gage; the
most noticeable upgrade externally was the addition of the now-ubiquitous side
skirts with their distinctive design.
Accuracy and cannon tube life was also improved by the addition of a
thermal jacket to the main gun. The
track pads were also replaced with ones that required only a single pin to mount
them, and could be replaced if necessary with ones that have metal X-shaped
crampons for use in extreme cold and ice conditions.
Starting in
1974, the Leopard 1A1s were further modified into the Leopard 1A1A1 standard.
This involved the addition of appliqué armor to the turret and glacis.
Fuel storage was also somewhat rearranged, yielding a little more fuel
capacity. In the early 1980s, these
were also upgraded to the Leopard 1A1A2 standard, which added an image
intensifier handed down from the Leopard 2 upgrade programs, in an armored box
with armored shutters above and to the left of the main gun.
The image intensifier was accessible by both the commander and gunner.
All digital radios were installed a little later, creating the Leopard
1A1A3. Improvements to the image
intensifier created the Leopard 1A1A4.
The Leopard
1A2
In a way, the
first 232 vehicles of the fifth batch, the Leopard 1A2s, were Leopard 1A1A1s
with the extra armor designed into the turret and glacis instead of being
appliqué. However, the armor
increase was a little bit better, being integrated into the design rather than
being an afterthought. The Leopard
1A2 also used an NBC overpressure system with a collective NBC system as a
backup and added a laser rangefinder. The Leopard 1A2 was first issued to German
tankers in 1972, and production continued until 1974.
Subtypes of the Leopard 1A2 included the Leopard 1A2A1, which had the
same image intensifier as the Leopard 1A1A2; in addition, the driver also had an
image intensification device which could be substituted for the forward vision
block. The Leopard 1A2A2 had the
same digital radios as the Leopard 1A1A3.
The Leopard 1A2A3 had both.
When the main image intensifier was improved, the Leopard 1s involved did not
receive a separate designation.
The Leopard
1A3
The remaining 110 vehicles of
the fifth batch were built to the Leopard 1A3 standard.
The turret of the Leopard 1A3 was much different from earlier versions;
it was made of all-welded panels instead of the cast/welded turret of earlier
versions. This allowed
Krauss-Maffei to include more advanced ceramic-sandwich armor into the turret.
Glacis armor was also improved; though the thickness of the armor of the glacis
and turret are not greatly changed, effective protection is greatly improved. A
wedge-shaped gun mantlet, moving the main gun forward, as well as general
changes to the main gun made the Leopard 1A3’s turret roomier than that of
earlier versions. The commander received an improved sight.
Subtypes were similar to the Leopard 1A1 and 1A2 – the Leopard 1A3A1 had
added image intensifiers, the Leopard 1A3A2 had digital radios, and the Leopard
1A3A3 had both.
The Leopard
1A4
Delivery of the
Leopard 1A4 began in 1974. The
Leopard 1A4 is very similar to the Leopard 1A3A3, but has dramatic improvements
in fire control, including a ballistic computer and the more advanced EMES-12A1
sighting system. In addition, the
commander was given an independent sight to allow a hunter-killer capability.
Unfortunately, all the new equipment took enough space that 5 main gun
rounds had to be deleted; virtually all of the main gun rounds (42 of them) are
stored in the large ammo bin beside of the driver.
The rest are in the bustle.
The Leopard 1A4 was the last version of the Leopard 1 used by the German Army
(the German Army switched completely to the Leopard 2 series soon thereafter),
but many other countries used and are still using the 1A4.
The Leopard
1A5
In 1980, though
no longer being used by Germany, Krauss-Maffei felt the Leopard 1 design still
had some life in it, and began a large set of modifications that would lead to
the Leopard 1A5. As most later
versions of the Leopard 1 were still in active use, Krauss-Maffei based their
modifications at first on older Leopard 1s – primarily the Leopard 1A1A1-1A1A4.
Eventually, some 1339 Leopard 1A5s would be built or upgraded from
earlier versions; they formed a large part of the Greek and Canadian tank
forces. Introduction of the Leopard
1A5 was in 1987.
Modifications
started with the turret. The turret
of the Leopard 1A1A1 was scrapped entirely, and a new all-welded turret with a
large bustle was installed. This
bustle held various pieces of equipment as well as ammunition, allowing
ammunition capacity to be restored.
Modifications to ammunition stowage itself allowed the Leopard 1A5 to use the
modern long-rod APFSDS penetrators.
Krupp-Atlas developed an improved new fire control system, the EMES-18 (based on
the EMES-15 used in the Leopard 2), to grant the main gun and coaxial greater
accuracy; this included a new ballistic computer and a laser rangefinder, as
well as a better stabilization system.
Thermal imaging was added for the gunner (also accessible by the
commander, but not a part of his independent sight).
The engine, transmission, and suspension all received incremental
upgrades.
A single member
of this group was further modified as an experiment, and unofficially called the
Leopard 1A6. This version had
bolt-on armored Lexan panels for the turret and hull, but the primary difference
was the installation of the Rheinmetall 120mm main gun.
It proved itself in trials, but had already been rendered superfluous by
the Leopard 2. The project was not
carried any further, but it’s an interesting enough “what-if” that I included it
below.
Other
Leopard 1 Modifications
Some other
countries that use the Leopard 1 have given them some additional features and
modifications that make them a bit different from standard Leopard 1s of their
type. Most of these modifications
are simple and inconsequential for game purposes (such as different radios, fire
control equipment made by different manufacturers, parts made using local
license production instead of being German in origin, etc).
However, some have modifications that are notable and quantifiable for
game purposes.
The Belgians
used a combination of Leopard 1s, Leopard 1A1s, Leopard 1A2s, and Leopard 1A5s.
These have a (BE) added to their designations.
Some 202 have been sold to undisclosed countries (none of which were
Leopard 1A5(BE)s). Aside from minor
internal differences (mainly in stowage arrangements and radios), the primary
change is that the Leopard 1A5(BE) and other Belgian versions use MAG
machineguns instead of MG-3s. In
addition, the turret sides and hull rear areas have large armored external
stowage boxes permanently attached to them.
The Dutch used a
version which is almost a standard Leopard 1A3, but the coaxial machinegun is a
MAG instead of an MG-3. The MG-3 is
still used as a commander’s machinegun. These versions were designated the
Leopard 1-V. The fire control system is an EMES-12A3, giving the Leopard 1-V a
bit better accuracy; the sights are also optimized for use with British-made
ammunition. The Dutch Leopard 1A3s also have the same appliqué armor as used on
the Leopard 1A1A1, in addition to the armor improvements already used in the
Leopard 1A3. In addition, the rear of the tank has three large external stowage
boxes mounted on it. The Dutch no
longer have them in their inventory, having traded them to Greece for items I
have yet to find out about.
The Italians
used the Leopard 1A3; these are designated the Leopard 1A3IT.
They have lugs for ERA on their turret front and sides, glacis, and hull
sides. They also use the Leopard
1A5, as the Leopard 1A5IT; these not only have lugs for ERA, but also have Lexan
appliqué armor on their turret sides and front, glacis, and hull sides.
Italy has retired its entire Leopard 1A3IT fleet, and all but 120 of its
Leopard 1A5IT fleet, as of 2009.
The Canadian
Leopard 1s: the C1 and C2
In 1977, the
Canadians selected the Leopard 1A3 to replace their aging Centurion tanks in
1977, with their being put into service in mid-1978.
This version of the 1A3 was called the Leopard C1 by the Canadians. These
were not stock 1A3s, however; they had a number of customized features and
equipment added. The major
difference was the addition of the SABCA Fire Control System, a Belgian-made
system featuring a laser rangefinder, seven sensors for wind, barometric
pressure, temperature, tank motion, barrel droop, cant, gun wear, and the
effects of any recent previous shots. These were assembled for the gunner by a
new fire control computer. This system was quite advanced for the time and more
advanced than that fitted to most NATO tanks of the time. The C1 also had Lexan
passive armor added to the turret sides, hull sides, and glacis, over the
already-improved armor of the 1A3.
This additional armor was lighter than standard steel or aluminum appliqué armor
of the time, though the bolts fastening it on had to be tightened with a torque
wrench instead of an ordinary wrench to avoid cracking at the mounting holes in
the Lexan. Another difference is
the use of C-6 machineguns instead of MG-3s.
A handful of
Leopard C1s received a further upgrade in the mid-1990s, and were deployed as
part of KFOR in 1999. These tanks,
designated Leopard C1A1, had a thermal imager added to the fire control suite
(accessible by the commander), and the fire control computer and sights were
modernized. However, the primary
modifications were in the armor suite – 57mm of steel belly armor was added.
The side skirts had their outer layer of steel backed with rubber, which
increased armor value without an undue increase in weight or cost.
The front third of the skirts, however, were improved with additional
steel armor. Six C1A1s, which did
not receive any additional designator, were equipped with MEXAS appliqué
composite armor, and a rather thick set of appliqué at that – the front of the
turret actually acquired the same wedge-shaped front as that of the later
Leopard 2A5 (though the armor was not as heavy); the appliqué was applied to the
glacis, hull sides, turret sides, and turret front.
In 2000, the 114
remaining C1 tanks (out of an original 127) were upgraded to the C2 standard.
The C2 was made by fitting Leopard 1A5 turrets onto the C1 hulls.
Equivalent fire control and sighting equipment of different manufacture
was also fitted to the Leopard 1A5 turrets.
The result is essentially the same as the Leopard C1A1 in game terms,
though inside the turrets were redesigned to give the crew a bit more elbow
room, and of course the exterior shape of the turret is also a bit different.
Differences are primarily in interior arrangement of the turret, some stowage,
and of course modernized fire control, sighting, and electrical systems. The C2s
still remain in service, and were used and are to an extent still used in
Afghanistan. Shortly after their
appearance in Afghanistan, the Leopard C2s were fitted with the same MEXAS
appliqué armor kit as was used on the six C1A1s mentioned above for the KFOR
mission. The C2s with MEXAS may be,
in game terms, be treated the same as the C1A1 with MEXAS. Though their combat
performance was acceptable, crew fatigue was a problem – the heater proved
inadequate in the winter and high heat was a big problem for the crew in the
Afghanistan summers, especially in the southern regions of the country.
Though a few were fitted with air conditioners on the rear deck, this was
a stopgap, cumbersome, and ultimately unsuccessful modification, and led
directly to Canada investing in the Leopard 2A6M.
The Canadian Army also cited some dissatisfaction with the armor
protection, and the inability of the main gun to fire canister rounds.
In 2007, the
Canadian Army announced their intent to replace the 66 remaining Leopard C2s
with LAV III MGSs. This
replacement, however, has been delayed indefinitely due to budgetary problems;
in addition, Canadian experiences in Afghanistan convinced the Canadian Army
that tanks were still necessary in a modern army, and they don’t intend to get
as many LAV III MGSs even when the money is there.
Note that 23
Leopard C1s and C2s have been sold to various companies in North America (for
purposes I have yet to ascertain), 4 were put on display in museums or used as
monuments, and 21 were put on target ranges.
The
Australian Leopard 1: The AS1
The Australian
Leopard 1, the AS1, is also a bit unusual and required some elaboration.
The AS1 uses a Leopard 1A2 hull topped with the turret of a Leopard 1A3.
The AS1, however, has spaced appliqué armor over the front and side arcs
of both the hull and turret. The
power pack is tropicalized, which is sealed from all sorts of mud and grit and
has extra air filtration and does not suffer from decreases in performance in
hot weather. The tracks are
modified, using double-pin track for extra strength.
The searchlight is not normally mounted, but carried in one of the
armored bins at the rear of the turret, and mounted only when needed. An
additional machinegun is normally fitted at the loader’s hatch. Perhaps the most
dramatic modification is the use of the Belgian-made SABCA fire control system,
like that of the Canadian C1 and C2, which at the time was the most advanced
fire control system in the world.
Later
modifications included a Mobile Camouflage System (the Swedish barracuda
system), which consisted of insulated panels fitted to the turret and hull.
These provided a double benefit – they not only gave protection against
thermal imagery (detection with thermal imagers is one level harder), it
provides sort of an umbrella effect that lowers the temperature inside the tank.
An additional “umbrella” system could be erected over the tank when in a
static position. In addition, a
true air conditioning system was fitted in 1998.
At first, this did not work so well, it literally sucked air out of the
turret and took up space in one of the armored bins on the turret.
The problem with the storage space lost was never solved, though the air
conditioner was later improved to stop air from being sucked out of the turret.
The Leopard AS1
is currently being phased out in favor of the M-1A2 Abrams.
Though some small amounts of Leopard AS1s remain in service during the
phase-out, the AS1s are most likely to end up in a reserve role, or as range
targets – a sort of ignoble end for tanks that have provided over 30 years of
service to Australia.
Twilight 2000
Story: In the Twilight 2000 timeline, there were some 30 Leopard 1A6s made by
modifying Leopard 1A5s in German service.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
Leopard 1/1A1 |
$378,368 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
40
tons |
4 |
20 |
Passive IR (G, C), WL Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard 1A1A1 |
$323,532 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
42.4
tons |
4 |
20 |
Passive IR (G, C), WL Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard 1A1A2-A4 |
$334,532 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
42.4
tons |
4 |
20 |
Passive IR (G, C), Image Intensification (G, C), WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard 1A2/A2A2 |
$426,076 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
42.5
tons |
4 |
22 |
Passive IR (G, C), WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard 1A2A1/A3 |
$346,076 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
42.5
tons |
4 |
22 |
Passive IR (G, C), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard 1A3 |
$331,692 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
42.7
tons |
4 |
19 |
Passive IR (G, C), WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard 1A3A2/A3 |
$353,692 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
42.7
tons |
4 |
19 |
Passive IR (G, C), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard 1A4 |
$560,415 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
42.7
tons |
4 |
19 |
Passive IR (G, C), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard 1A5 |
$389,727 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
42.8
tons |
4 |
19 |
Thermal Imaging (G), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard 1A6 |
$378,322 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
44.5
tons |
4 |
21 |
Thermal Imaging (G), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard 1A5IT |
$392,347 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
43.1
tons |
4 |
22 |
Thermal Imaging (G), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard 1-V |
$369,416 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
43
tons |
4 |
19 |
Passive IR (G, C), WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard C1 |
$370,948 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
43
tons |
4 |
22 |
Passive IR (G, C), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard C1A1/C2 |
$384,023 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
45.4
tons |
4 |
22 |
Thermal Imaging (G), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard C1A1 w/MEXAS & C2 w/MEXAS |
$401,035 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
47.8
tons |
4 |
26 |
Thermal Imaging (G), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard AS1 (Standard) |
$433,426 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
42.4
tons |
4 |
22 |
Passive IR (G, C), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Leopard AS1 (Late) |
$444,262 |
D,
AvG, A |
700
kg |
42.5
tons |
4 |
22 |
Passive IR (G, C), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
Leopard 1 |
141/101 |
36/28 |
955 |
451 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF30
TS14 HR10
HF38 HS10
HF6 |
Leopard 1A1 |
144/101 |
36/28 |
955 |
451 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF30
TS14 TR10
HF38 HS11Sp
HF6 |
Leopard 1A1A1-A4 |
138/97 |
35/27 |
985 |
453 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF41
TS17 TR13
HF44 HS12Sp
HR8 |
Leopard 1A2/A2A1-A4 |
138/96 |
35/27 |
985 |
453 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF43
TS18 TR13
HF45 HS12Sp HR8 |
Leopard 1A3/1A4 |
137/96 |
35/27 |
985 |
453 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF44Sp TS19Sp
TR13 HF49Sp HS13Sp
HR8 |
Leopard 1A5 |
132/93 |
34/26 |
985 |
454 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF44Sp TS19Sp
TR13 HF49Sp HS13Sp
HR8 |
Leopard 1A6 |
128/90 |
33/25 |
985 |
468 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF49Sp TS22Sp
TR13 HF54Sp HS16Sp
HR8 |
Leopard 1A5IT |
132/92 |
34/26 |
985 |
454 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF49Sp TS22Sp
TR13 HF54Sp HS16Sp
HR8 |
Leopard 1-V |
133/93 |
34/26 |
985 |
454 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF44Sp TS25Sp
TR16 HF55Sp
HS14Sp HR8 |
Leopard C1 |
133/93 |
34/26 |
985 |
454 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF47Sp TS28Sp
TR16 HF58Sp
HS17Sp HR8 |
Leopard C1A1/C2 |
125/87 |
32/25 |
985 |
482 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF47Sp TS28Sp
TR16 HF58Sp
HS19Sp HR8* |
Leopard C1A1 w/MEXAS & C2 w/MEXAS |
119/83 |
30/24 |
985 |
506 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF75Cp TS30Sp
TR16 HF76Cp
HS22Sp HR8** |
Leopard AS1 |
133/95 |
34/26 |
985 |
478 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF46Sp TS20Sp
TR13 HF47Sp
HS14Sp HR8 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
Leopard 1 |
+1 |
Basic |
105mm L-7A3, MG-3, MG-3 (C) |
60x105mm, 5500x7.62mm |
Leopard 1A1/A1A1-A1A4 |
+1 |
Fair |
105mm L-7A3, MG-3, MG-3 (C) |
60x105mm, 5500x7.62mm |
Leopard 1A2/A2A1-A4/1A3/1A3 |
+2 |
Fair |
105mm L-7A3, MG-3, MG-3 (C) |
60x105mm, 5500x7.62mm |
Leopard 1A4 |
+3 |
Good |
105mm L-7A3, MG-3, MG-3 (C) |
55x105mm, 5500x7.62mm |
Leopard 1A5 |
+4 |
Good |
105mm L-7A3, MG-3, MG-3 (C) |
60x105mm, 5500x7.62mm |
Leopard 1A6 |
+4 |
Good |
120mm Gun, MG-3, MG-3 (C) |
40x120mm, 5500x7.62mm |
Leopard 1-V |
+3 |
Fair |
105mm L-7A3, MAG, MG-3 (C) |
60x105mm, 5500x7.62mm |
Leopard C1 |
+3 |
Good |
105mm L-7A3, C-6, C-6 (C) |
60x105mm, 5500x7.62mm |
Leopard C1A1/C2 |
+4 |
Good |
105mm L-7A3, C-6, C-6 (C) |
60x105mm, 5500x7.62mm |
Leopard AS1 |
+4 |
Good |
105mm L-7A3, MG-3, MG-3 (C), MG3 (L) |
59x105mm, 5500x7.62mm |
*The front
third of the hull sides has an AV of 20Sp.
Belly AV is 10.
**The front
third of the hull sides has an AV of 23Sp. Belly AV is 10.
Notes: Designed
to replace the Leopard 1 and keep up with the Jonses, development of the of a
new main battle tank began in the early 1970s, with first fielding with the
German Army beginning in 1978.
After the failure of the German-American MBT-70 program in the late 1960s,
Germany began development of a new tank to be called the Leopard 2.
Though it shares a name with the Leopard 1, it shares virtually nothing
with that vehicle, being an almost entirely new design.
The first Leopard 2’s were delivered to the German Army in 1978, and by
1992 they had replaced most of the Leopard 1’s in the German inventory.
Most of the Leopard 2-2A4 versions are similar to each other and have
minor differences from each other, with the 2A5 being a major change in design.
The Leopard 2 is also used by Austria, the Netherlands, Spain, and
Switzerland.
The layout of the
Leopard 2 is conventional, with the driver on the front left, commander’s cupola
on the turret right, and loader’s hatch on the turret right, with the gunner
below and to the right of the commander.
The driver has three vision blocks to the front, with the center block
able to be replaced with a night vision periscope.
The driver also has a camera in the rear of tank to aid in backing up.
Part of the main gun’s ammunition supply is to the right of the driver.
The commander does not have a rotating cupola; instead, he has a
360-degree ring of vision blocks and a pintle-mounted machinegun.
His hatch can be open, closed, or locked open to a point where he can
take a peek outside but still has most of the turret’s armor protection.
He has a stabilized day/night periscope in front of his hatch, behind the
vision blocks. The gunner uses the
EMES-15 fire control system, consisting of a ballistic computer, an integrated
rangefinder and thermal imager (which the commander can access), and a
telescopic sight, along with monitors for the gunnery information.
(The commander has the same monitors, but his also report on the
condition of the Leopard 2.) Once
spotted and inputted, the computer automatically slews the turret and elevates
or depresses the main gun onto the target (or puts in a lead if necessary).
The gunner also has a roof-mounted day/night periscope.
The NBC system is a collective system.
The Leopard 2
was originally to be armed with the same 105mm L-7A3 gun as on the Leopard 1,
and the first 10 examples were in fact armed with this gun.
However, Rheinmetall had a new 120mm main gun ready; the first 10 Leopard
2s were retrofitted with this gun, and the rest of production used this gun.
A coaxial machinegun was also installed; the fire control equipment can
be used with the main gun or increase coaxial machinegun accuracy.
27 main gun rounds are to the right of the driver.15 are on the left side
of the turret bustle, protected from the crew by an armored door and blow-out
panels similar to those of the M-1 Abrams.
On each side of the turret are clusters of eight 76mm smoke grenade
launchers.
The Leopard 2
has an integrated power pack using an MTU MB-873 turbocharged diesel engine
developing 1500 horsepower. This is
coupled to a fully automatic Renk HSWL-354 transmission, with the driver having
a control yoke and conventional gas and brake pedals.
The suspension uses seven steel rubber-tired roadwheels on either side,
with the torsion bar system designed for difficult terrain.
The Leopard 2 also has a 5kW APU, designed for a decreased IR signature
and easy access for maintenance.
Armor is
protection is considerable and uses Chobham on the turret front and glacis,
along with ceramic sandwich armor for the turret sides and hull sides.
There are track skirts of the same shape (but stronger) on either side of
the hull. These track skirts are
actually a rubber sandwich material.
The Leopard
2A1-A4
The Leopard 2A1
to 2A4 were relatively incremental upgrades to the Leopard 2, each adding a
little more capability to the Leopard 2, but not changing the general design.
The Leopard 2A1 gave the gunner an improved thermal imager.
Ammunition racks were installed that were identical to the M-1 Abrams’
racks; this allowed the latest long-rod APDSFS-type penetrators to be carried in
those racks. The fuel filters were
redesigned to allow for faster refueling.
Most Leopard 2s were later modified to the Leopard 2A1 standard at the
same time (1982-84). For game
purposes, the Leopard 2A1 is otherwise identical to the Leopard 2.
The Leopard 2A2
further improved the gunner’s thermal imager to 2nd generation
standards. The Leopard 2A2 featured
a filler cap for each fuel tank, allowing for even faster refueling.
The commander’s and gunner’s periscope were retrofitted with deflectors
to keep road dirt from splashing up onto the periscope and obscuring vision.
The NBC system exhaust also received a similar deflector plate.
The Leopard 2A2 carried a 5-meter towing cable, relieving field shortages
that were all too common. The
little-used crosswind sensor was removed from the turret and the opening plated
over. For game purposes, the
Leopard 2A1 is otherwise identical to the Leopard 2 and 2A1.
The Leopard
2A3’s primary upgrade was the change to SEM80/90 digital radios and the welding
shut of the ammunition reloading hatch in the turret, which was perceived as a
weak point in the armor and plated over.
For game purposes, it is otherwise equivalent to the earlier Leopard 2s.
The Leopard 2A4
became the most numerous of the Leopard 2 series.
For the most part, it is identical to the Leopard 2A3, but it also
featured upgrades to the automatic fire detection and suppression system and a
new digital fire control module able to compute fire with newer projectile
types. However, the most
substantial change was the replacement of part of the turret armor with a
titanium/tungsten/steel sandwich.
Other than the added armor, the Leopard 2A4 is identical to the Leopard 2A3 for
game purposes.
The Leopard
2A5
With the Leopard
2A5 came the wedge-shaped turret armor that is now commonly associated with the
Leopard 2. (Before the Leopard 2A5,
the Leopard 2s turret armor was virtually flat-faced.)
The added armor takes the form of a sandwich of steel, ceramic, tungsten,
and titanium, and is designed to eliminate shot traps and deflect most shots off
of the turret. The gun mantlet was
also modified in shape to go with the new frontal armor.
Though the Leopard 2A5 does not have the new L/55 gun, it can be
retrofitted with it (though to date, it has not been done).
Improvements were also made to the rest of the Leopard 2A5’s armor,
particularly the glacis, and an improved anti-spalling liner was added to the
interior of the crew compartment and the turret bustle.
The side skirts were replaced with ones that are stronger, yet lighter
(important, as with the Leopard 2A5 came a huge increase in weight).
The new armor is also modular, allowing for quick armor repairs in the
field of improvements to the armor suite in the future.
The gunner’s
sight was moved to the roof to avoid having to make large modifications to the
new armor of the turret front and having to put a large extension on the sight
equipment (which would have compromised accuracy).
The commander also received his own sight system, including his own laser
rangefinder, in the form of a CITS.
Hydraulically-assisted hatches for the crew members were added, as the hatches
themselves were made much heavier and better protected.
Other hydraulic or partially hydraulic controls like the turret rotation
and gun elevation were made all-electric, making them more reliable and saving
some weight. The rear camera for
the driver has a wider angle of view and night vision capability.
GPS is added.
The Leopard
2A6
The primary
change in the Leopard 2A6 from the 2A5 is that the L/55 gun is standard,
yielding more range and accuracy.
This also meant that the software in the fire control computer had to be
updated. The Leopard 2A6 also uses a 20 kW APU which provides much more power,
and has an air conditioner.
Ammunition stowage is also rearranged to reflect newer ammunition types
available. The land navigation
system is a combination of inertial navigation, GPS, a mapping system, and a
computer to tie all the information together.
The bulkhead between the engine and crew compartment has been reinforced,
and the engine compartment has its own fire detection and suppression system.
The standard engine is still the 1500-horsepower MTU MB-873 engine, but a
version of the EuroPowerPack with 1650 horsepower has been tested in the Leopard
2A6 and found satisfactory. (No
such vehicles have been placed in production, however.)
The Leopard 2A6M
is a standard Leopard 2A6 that has additional floor protection and additional
blast protection for the main gun ammunition, recognizing the increase in the
use of IEDs and mines among Taliban and Al Qaida forces.
National
Variants
The standard
Leopard 2 version used by Canadian forces is the 2A4.
However, for the summer 2007 deployment to Afghanistan, Canada borrowed
20 Leopard 2A6Ms from Germany, and then another 20 from the Netherlands.
The Leopard 2A6Ms are essentially stock versions, except that the turret
drive is improved to permit faster rotation; they also have air conditioning.
The 20 borrowed from the Dutch, on the other hand, were loaned to the
Canadians under the condition that no major changes that are not easily
reversible would be made. Since
Dutch 2A6Ms do not have air conditioning, neither do the borrowed Canadian tanks
(designated Leopard 2A6M CAN), and the black boxes at the rear of the hull,
rumored to be an air conditioning unit, is actually extra Canadian-built
communications gear (they were not permitted to remove the Dutch commo gear).
The 2A6Ms borrowed from the Germans retain their MG-3 machineguns, while
the ones borrowed from the Dutch retain the MAG machineguns that the Dutch use.
The most obvious change, however, is that the hull and turret are
surrounded literally by two cages (turret and hull) of bar/slat armor to
increase protection against HEAT rounds; equipment storage baskets built into
part of this structure can be used not only for storage, but to further increase
protection. The cages do not
interfere with sighting equipment, rotation of the turret, or use of the
commander’s machinegun. Canada
later bought the loaned tanks from both Germany and the Netherlands to allow for
even more modifications to be made, and they intend to buy as many as 40 more.
Some of the first modifications will be to replace the MG-3s and MAGs with C-6s.
The Chileans
bought the Leopard 2A4 (designated Leopard 2A4CHL), but they requested several
upgrades. They have the updated
fire control equipment and electronics of the Leopard 2A6, the Leopard 2A6’s
L/55 gun, a suspension better suited for Chile’s mountainous terrain, an
CROWS-like installation for the commander’s station, and an HK GMG for the
loader’s hatch on a pintle. The
Leopard 2A4CHL also has appliqué armor on the turret roof and sides, and an
interface system for Chile’s command and control network.
A noted above,
Dutch Leopard 2s (regardless of version) use MAG machineguns instead of MG-3s.
The Greeks
bought some surplus Leopard 2A4s from the Netherlands, and these retain their
MAG machineguns, but use Greek commo equipment.
In addition, the Greeks are having some Leopard 2A6s built for them;
these also have MAG machineguns, and otherwise have some country-specific
equipment like radios, fire control computer software, and GPS equipment.
These are designated Leopard 2A6 Hel.
A Spanish/German
cooperative effort has resulted in the increased-protection Leopard 2E, a
development of the Leopard 2A6.
Though manufacture will be taking place in both countries, the only user will be
Spain. (The deal also included
Germany giving Spain 108 Leopard 2A4s and license-building roughly 100 Leopard
2A5s.) Appliqué armor has been
added to all faces except the hull deck, including the turret roof and the same
sort of mine protection as the Leopard 2A6M.
The Leopard 2E has some of the heaviest armor protection of any tank in
the world today.
Swiss Leopard
2A4s are license-manufactured in Switzerland and designated the Pz-87 Leopard in
Swiss service. Their machineguns
are MG-83s instead of MG-3s (though both are derived from the World War 2
MG-42).They also use Swiss-made radios and intercoms.
Swiss Pz-87s have an NBC overpressure system, with the collective system
as a backup.
The Swiss have
further improved their Pz-87s recently, designating them the Pz-87WE.
Armor improvements include the Leopard 2A6M’s belly armor, appliqué armor
on the glacis, and Swiss-developed titanium/ceramic sandwich armor.
The smoke grenade clusters have been replaced with ones of Swiss-design
and manufacture. Some other
features have been borrowed from the Leopard 2A5, such as the new back-up camera
for the driver and the all-electric turret drive and gun stabilization.
The fire control system is made by Zeiss Optronics, but is equivalent to
that of the Leopard 2A5 for game purposes.
The commander has a new cupola with a mount which uses an M-2HB (MG-64)
and having a CITS; the commander can aim and fire the M-2HB from inside armor.
The Swedish
Leopard 2A5s, designated Leopard 2(S)s, are heavily modified are neither really
Leopard 2A5s or Leopard 2A6s, but somewhere in between with some extra features.
The Leopard 2(S) will be found under Swedish Tanks.
Still
Studied, but Probably Won’t be Seen in This Film…
In the early
1990s, Rheinmetall began developing a 140mm smoothbore gun for use as main gun
armament in tanks. At the time, it
was believed that the next Soviet/Russian tank would have a main gun of 135 or
152mm. The idea was to upgrade
Leopard 2A4 tanks to mount the 140mm main gun in the mid-1990s.
The main gun would be fed by an autoloader to preserve room for the
gunner in the turret. Sights and
fire control equipment would also be modified to take into account the new gun’s
ballistics. This modification was
never carried beyond computer studies and one experimental fitting, but work
reportedly continues as of 2009.
Twilight 2000
Story: Most of Western Europe went to war with versions of the Leopard 2 in the
Twilight 2000 timeline, and they proved to be very effective, with Pact tankers
rightly fearing them. Most Leopards
2s were Leopard 2-2A4s; the Leopard 2A5 was a limited production vehicle,
largely confined to German service.
As the German Army felt the automated gun system on the Leopard 3 was not
as effective as a crewed turret, they saw only limited production, with
production of the Leopard 2A5 being ramped up a bit more. (The Leopard 3 can be
found in Best Tanks that Never Were.)
The Leopard 2A6 and its subtypes do not exist in the Twilight 2000
timeline; the Leopard 2A5 does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline outside
of German service. The
Leopard 2-140 made a small appearance in the Twilight War, with 3 being lost in
Poland and 2 in fighting with Italian forces.
The Leopard 2-140 suffered greatly from small numbers and ammunition
shortages.
Merc 2000 Story:
The Leopard 2A6 and 2-140 were never developed due to budgetary concerns.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
Leopard 2 (Early) |
$525,562 |
D,
G, A |
700
kg |
54.13 tons |
4 |
26 |
Passive IR (D), Thermal Imaging (G), Image Intensification (G, C) |
Shielded |
Leopard 2 (Standard)/2A1/2A2 |
$537,787 |
D,
G, A |
700
kg |
55.15 tons |
4 |
26 |
Passive IR (D), Thermal Imaging (G), Image Intensification (G, C) |
Shielded |
Leopard 2A4 |
$585,225 |
D,
G, A |
700
kg |
57.1
tons |
4 |
26 |
Passive IR (D), 2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Image
Intensification (G, C) |
Shielded |
Leopard 2A5 |
$718,655 |
D,
G, A |
700
kg |
62.5
tons |
4 |
30 |
Passive IR (D), 2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Thermal Imaging
(C), Image Intensification (G, C) |
Shielded |
Leopard 2A6 |
$796,513 |
D,
G, A |
700
kg |
62.61 tons |
4 |
30 |
Passive IR (D), 2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Thermal Imaging
(C), Image Intensification (G, C) |
Shielded |
Leopard 2A6M |
$822,914 |
D,
G, A |
700
kg |
63.11 tons |
4 |
30 |
Passive IR (D), 2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Thermal Imaging
(C), Image Intensification (G, C) |
Shielded |
Pz-87 |
$580,273 |
D,
G, A |
700
kg |
57.15 tons |
4 |
26 |
Passive IR (D), 2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Image
Intensification (G, C) |
Shielded |
Pz-87WE |
$610,581 |
D,
G, A |
700
kg |
59.38 tons |
4 |
26 |
Passive IR (D), 2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Thermal Imaging
(C), Image Intensification (G, C) |
Shielded |
Leopard 2A4CHL |
$703,098 |
D,
G, A |
700
kg |
58.38 tons |
4 |
28 |
Passive IR (D), 2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Thermal Imaging
(C), Image Intensification (G, C) |
Shielded |
Leopard 2A6M CAN |
$831,144 |
D,
G, A |
700
kg |
63.74 tons |
4 |
31 |
Passive IR (D), 2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Thermal Imaging
(C), Image Intensification (G, C) |
Shielded |
Leopard 2E |
$864,060 |
D,
G, A |
700
kg |
65.4
tons |
4 |
30 |
Passive IR (D), 2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Thermal Imaging
(C), Image Intensification (G, C) |
Shielded |
Leopard 2-140 |
$780,637 |
D,
G, A |
700
kg |
60.7
tons |
3 |
30 |
Passive IR (D), 2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Image
Intensification (G, C) |
Shielded |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor* |
Leopard 2 (Early) |
181/127 |
40/25 |
1200 |
810 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF144Cp TS35Sp
TR24 HF160Cp
HS25Sp HR15 |
Leopard 2 (Standard)/2A1/2A2 |
178/125 |
39/24 |
1200 |
824 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF144Cp TS35Sp
TR24 HF160Cp
HS25Sp HR15 |
Leopard 2A4/Pz-87 |
173/121 |
38/23 |
1200 |
853 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF152Cp TS39Sp
TR24 HF160Cp
HS25Sp HR15 |
Leopard 2A5 |
156/109 |
34/21 |
1200 |
780 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF160Cp TS36Sp
TR26 HF200Cp
HS28Cp HR16 |
Leopard 2A6/2A6M |
153/107 |
33/21 |
1200 |
781 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF160Cp TS36Sp
TR26 HF200Cp
HS28Cp HR16* |
Pz-87WE |
167/117 |
37/22 |
1200 |
886 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF165Cp TS39Sp
TR27 HF205Cp
HS30Cp HR17* |
Leopard 2A4CHL |
166/116 |
37/22 |
1200 |
891 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF152Cp TS42Sp
TR24 HF160Cp
HS25Sp HR15** |
Leopard 2A6M CAN |
152/106 |
33/21 |
1200 |
789 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF165Cp TS41Sp
TR31 HF205Cp
HS33Cp HR21 |
Leopard 2E |
147/103 |
32/19 |
1200 |
853 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF167Cp TS40Sp
TR28 HF210Cp
HS33Cp HR18*** |
Leopard 2-140 |
161/113 |
35/25 |
1200 |
720 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF154Cp TS35Sp
TR24 HF193Cp
HS25Sp HR15 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
Leopard 2 (Early) |
+4 |
Good |
105mm L-7A3 Main Gun, MG-3, MG-3 (C) |
48x105mm, 4250x7.62mm |
Leopard 2 (Standard)/2A1/2A2/2A3/2A4 |
+4 |
Good |
120mm Gun, MG-3, MG-3 (C) |
42x120mm, 4750x7.62mm |
Leopard 2A5 |
+5 |
Good |
120mm Gun, MG-3, MG-3 (C) |
42x120mm, 4750x7.62mm |
Leopard 2A6/2A6M/2E |
+5 |
Good |
120mm L/55 Gun, MG-3, MG-3 (C) |
42x120mm, 4750x7.62mm |
Pz-87 |
+4 |
Good |
120mm Gun, MG-83, MG-83 (C) |
42x120mm, 4750x7.5mm |
Pz-87WE |
+5 |
Good |
120mm Gun, MG-83, M-2HB (C) |
42x120mm, 2375x7.5mm, 1400x.50 |
Leopard 2A4CHL |
+5 |
Good |
120mm L/55 Gun, MG-3, MG-3 (C), HK GMG (L) |
42x120mm, 4750x7.62mm, 200x40mm LV |
Leopard 2A6M CAN |
+5 |
Good |
120mm L/55 Gun, MAG, MAG (C) |
42x120mm, 4750x7.62mm |
Leopard 2-140 |
+4 |
Good |
140mm Gun, MG-3, MG-3 (C) |
36x140mm, 4750x7.62mm |
*Belly armor
for the Leopard 2A6M, 2A6M CAN, Pz-87WE is 11Sp.
The Leopard 2A6M CAN, because of the bar/slat armor cage, has additional
protection against HE-type rounds.
If hit by a HE-type round from any face except the deck or belly, subtract an
extra 1D6 damage before applying any extra benefits (such as Spaced or Composite
armor) the armor face may grant.
**Turret
roof armor for the Leopard 2A4CHL is 10.
***The
Leopard 2E has a turret roof armor level of 10, and a belly armor level of 11Sp.