7501 LEOPARD 2-2A5.pdf

Walter Biibll

INTRODUCTION

computer at the gunner's EMES-15 stabilized fire-control compuler calculates Itle speed

01 the torgel by loser beam in fractions at a secooo. In connochon with the ,voopoos-

Iooding syslem, the iniliol hit probability In combol 01 a distance or 2,500 meters (2,732

yords) is over 80%.

Anoltler principal item In the K'NS Is the Incroosed poor-weather 000 nlghHgMng

ability. The leopord 2A5 commander observes, controls and hgllts with me use of his

PERI-R 17A2 periscope with inlegraled thermol Imaging device, ot nighl and In poor

weather, independent ollhe gunner's thermol imogrng device. The lonk commander con

perform panoramic reconnaissance. but the gunner tokes his aim In<tepefldent of this, 00

the hunter-killer lunclion is aiso ensured 01 night. The commander con shll supervise and

contlol his gunner by transferring the dolo ollhe gunner 10 his 0\Vll monitor. The driver

of the leopard 2A5 has a dlivers 10000-llght·level appliance God con also see mod drive

bockwords wUh the help 01 a video monitor. The hydraulic goors have four lor\vord anti

two reverse gears, and the 1.500 HP, 12-cylinder MTU MB 873 diesel engine can

accelerate too loopord 2 up to 75 kmlh (465 mph). In a l00-kilometer slrool march.

theloopord 2 uses 2i5 liters (134 gallons) ot diesel fuel. The Leopard 2·s range oj

action Is 550 kiromelels (342 miles), and throo-meter (9 fool) wide trencl1eS and 1 10-

meter (3.5 feel) high walls ore no hindrance 10 the tank's cross-counfry abilities The OM

8.5 million loopord 2A5 KWS Is the most modern anti pawed\J1 ballte lank In me workl

todoy.

Loop<lrd 2 battle tonks form the tlockborlt! of NATO's armored units. MabiHty.

nrepovrer and ormor protection orB oo)oncoo logether 10 lIle ophmum in mis woopons

5'151001, and It shows in their records of high reliability arm operating salely Becouse or

the oulslorlding results achievoo by the tonk's ptl\wrlul 120mm gun. the leopord 2

looms have won foremost rocognihon in many of NAtCYs inlernohOllol CornpetltlOflS.

such as the Conodion Nmy Trophy (CAl). The Leopard 2 woolxms system has OON

lleer1 in use for \5 years in the lanK and tonk reconnaissance units 01 the Germon AImy,

os well as among olher NATO pmtners.

The development of the Leopard 2 wos imliated In 1969 with !he end 01 the

governmental agreement bel\voon the Federal Republic of Gennany 000 !he USA on the

joint 'some Tonk 70' project The developmental aims, which Vlfife set vety high althol

time, cwld not be realized becouse 01 the costs. '.... t1ich hod exceeded DM 830 million

The InCfe<lsing financial requirements forced me jalnl GermorVAmerican "Tonk 7O!Mam

Banle Tonk 70" project 10 be abandoned Both oourttr1es nO\\' concentrated their eltOl1s

on the deveiapmenl at their own natiDf1{)1 projects. The USA buUlthe XM·1 and Geml(Jny

concentrated on Ihe further developmenl aT the leojJ{110 1

N the beginning of 1970 the German AImy decided to develop a completely 00,'/

type of tank e the 'leopard 2·, based on Itle experimental development of !he "Golden

Loopold" thai was conlinued along with the Joint "Kpz 70" project. Krous-Maltel in

Munich was selected as the geneml OOIltlOclor for !he development of Ihe nmv Leopard

2 oonle tonk Decouse of theil experience in constructing !he leopald I. In the next ffJW

years) 7 prolotype turrets fined with 105mm and 120rnm guns trom RMlnfT1€laU wele

made, as well as 16 chassis The company delivered the first pr010types of the Leopard

2\\ ba\\~ tOM tlom 1972 \\)1973,

The yom Kippur wor 01 1913 brought oboUl 0 new wcry of thinking rn the business

of tonk construction. The evaluation of the krlow1edge gorned from the Israeti-Egyptiort

war shawed that tonk protection was more valuable than previcosiy ossumed As a

result, Ih€ Leapord 2 was filled WIth 0 oo.v lurret with more proleclion In the middle 01

fhe 1970s there were extensive trials and componsons mode in Gefmany mod In Ihe

USA, Two leopard 2 bMle lonks were ftown to the USA where a series of comparisons

were mode wilh lhe XM-l. The mJvonloges oflrrtl leopard 2 were cloorty shoWn. (The

105mm gun hod already been exchonged for a more prJ:Ivertut 120mm gun In America)

Anottler gool of the exercises In the USA wos 10 decide on (I JOint standard of components

IOf both bonia tanks. but nothing more than on agreement to inslall the 120mm gun In

Eura-leopard 2

Tna Netherlands was the flrsl NATO member 10 put leopord 2 bartle tonks- 445

al\ogl'.lMI' - into sevice belmwn \982 coo 19ee. The DI.Itc\l Nmy DiSC soII1 114

loopord 2M tanks to Austria In 1997 Of Ihe remalnrng Leopard 2M bome tanks. 180

vellicles will Initially be refilled to the leopard 2AS slo000rd. It ls planned thot lhe res!

will eventually become KWS vehicles also. The Dutch Army shll has 25 Betgeponzer 3

BOffel armored recovery vehicles.

In 1984. following extensive comparison lests With lhe !\meflcon Ml, f1(llJlral

Switzerland olso decided to inlloduce 380 leopard 2 bollle tanks mto Its Ofsenol They

will mainly be built in Swifz:erland lJnder license and will be coiled "leopard Tonk 8T

At the beginning of 1990 the Bri1ish Army 0100 shO\W<:! mterest in the LealXlrd bottle

tank os a replocemenl lar the Challenger 1 In comlXlrison lests in Groot Bmoin, Itle

leopard 2 took Ilrst place ahead of the American Abrams M1 ond the Challenger 2. but

the Coollenger wiil be given prlOfity for polilicol roosons (employment opportunlttes).

In h'oop !rIalS In Sweden in 1994 the Leopord 2 fullilled the r:lemorxls mode on rl.

surlXlssin9 both the Abrams M\ 000 the French leclerc. Then S\'16defl leased 160 strv

) 21 'Leopord 2M" ~om Ihe Germon Nnw lor 15 years. One hundred IvlOOty new Strv

\ 22 'leopord 2A5" witl be manufactured, and another 90 SIN 122 Hopend 2AS" and

17 BOlfel armored recovery vehicles ore planned, There MU be some further

improvemenls mode on the Swedish StN 122 "leopard 2A5' (compared 10 Ihe

Germar1lDutch versions) such as: extra armor on the chassis (Spall Urlllfs). extra armor

on the lurrel roo, modular lank command and COOirol system (Tees), as \\/illl as sofe·

for-fhe·eye losers (RAMAN losers).

In 1995196 Spoln renled l08leopord 2M bailie lanks from stocks of lhe German

ArmV for eqUipping tlrelr heovy EurOCOfps units. Another 219 leopard 2A5 vehrcles are

to be built under license. Austria has purchased 114 leopold 2M Nl from the Dutch

fOfCes, In the course of Holtantl's arms reduc~on, and will refit !herr tonk txlttolion with

f1lese, vrnich ore presently equipped wl1h the okl M60A3. Denmork has also shown

Interest in toklng over used leopard 2 tanks from the German Almy Bosed on their

positrve experience with the loopord 1 bome lank, lire luhJre adoptron 0I11le leopard 2

weapons system Is likely.

oolll the Ml and the leopord 2 was achieved

With the purchase of Ine wooporls system approved by the Gennon Ministry 01

Detlll1se, the loopord 2 was officially presented to the German publ!c In 1977. AI the end

01 1979 the firsl stondord leopard 2 lonks were delivered 10 Ponzerlehrbrigade 9 In

Mlinsler. The loopord 2 01 the firSl oolch hod no !hermal lmoglng device, but It wos

inslolled In the second ootch as standard equipment. At this rtme the second

manufacturer at the leopard 2, MAl{ In Kie\, was slill experlmenling and making

odjuslmenls In the tonk construclion bet\Veet1 the USA and Germany The InSlOllotion 01

ttle Ml gas turbine AGT 1500X ll00A In the leopard 210nk was Slapped becOllSll of

lIle hIgh cost BelwBen 1979 and 1992, 010101012.125 leopord 2 Donie lonks, as well

os 75 olmmed lecovery vehicles - the Bergeponzer 3 "BUffel" (based on !he leopard

2 chassis) - wt!re manufactured in B Saules (balches) by KralJs-Moffel in Muntch and

Krupp MAK In Kiel

The Gelman Army designated the leolXlrd 2 of the second and thltd oolcnes as me

°A I·. and refitted vehicles 1rom the flrsl batch ore the 'A2' Vel1icfes filled WIth the new

SEM 80190 mdio are known as leopard 2A3 The German Almy coils those from the fifth

lxltch the leopard 2M

GeblrgsponzerlOloltion B received Ihe lost ~ivery of leopord 2A4s trom the 8th

botch, Dum'lQ fhe production of the entire eight balches, allerotions and rer~s were mode.

The aIm ollhe German Almy was to brIng 011 of the leopord 2 bollte lonks up to lhe oome

equlpmenl slondard. Most at Ihe leopard 2 lonks 01 the Germon Almy are the A4.

Summary

1119leapord 2 bartte lank I10S been Introduced Into six European oounlTies. afld the

12Ornn1 smOOlhbore gun of the LealXlrd 2 has been Installed in lhe Amerlcon Abfoms

MIA I tonk Testing Is being carried out to increase the firepo>Y€1 through tengthemng the

previous barrel 01 the 120mm smoothbOre gun from a caliber length 01 U44 10 U55 by

1,30 melels (4.3 foot) and providing the crfJ'NS WIth improved ommunltron. So for na

use has boon mode 01 Itle increase In the engine oUlpul The llnol slage In lhe

development at the leopord 2 shoold be the lirting of a 140mm bONle lank gun. along

wllh the Issuance 01 specfol ammunition lor flghling helicopters From the monufacture

01 the flrsl stondord vehicles in 1979 unfit today, the leopord 2 has 1>ee(1 conlinually

malnlolned in me iolest technlcol condition With the Irx:reoslng demand for lhe main

weapons system tor many bonle tonk units of NATO and noo-NATO counlnes, II should

remain so for the foreseeable future

Leopard 2A5 KWS (Increased Banle Ability)

Wlltlthe gool of malntOlnlng supeliOllty on lhe banlefield In the future, the -leopord

User ClUb· agreed to develop incroosed oonle ability The prlrrclpalfeotures altha KWS

ore Improved armor protection In the lurret aroo. as well as Incroosed nlghl-fightrng

ability and driving ability wnlle tilrng on the move In oo"le

This type Is also called the

°Monnhelmer Configuralion"

In 1992 the German Army decIded to relil 225 of lheir leopard 2 lloot 10 the A5

slandard, and to equIp their lank 00110 lions lor reacting 10 difficult Clises The chassis 01

lxltches 6, 7 and 8 were refined fOf this purpose. OS we the old turrets 01 botches I, 2

and 3 The armor protec~on on the irani aT lhe lurret ond the lurrel sIdes was relnlOfced

with the spore ports oj lhe oute! module oj the 4th generation technology. wnich con

resist severol hils by KE (Klnelic Energy) ammunrtlon ond hollow charged shells

However. ltle tonk·s bortle might is Inevitably Incroosed by this from 5510nnes to 62.5

tonnes

KE APFSDS-T ommunllion Wllh no casing. as wet! as mum-purpose HEAT-MPT con

oe fired flam Ihe leopard 2's proven 120mm gun. The APFSDS·T shells can penetr01e

the hordest tonk oUoys oM melt the lonk stool wnrle penetroting It Also, two 7 62mm

mocI1lne guns are provided for SBlr-delense. Thanks 10 a more powerfut, fully elecllonlc.

weapons-loading syslem (necessary because of tile heovy turret weight), the leopord

2M keeps Its lorgel In Its sights llVlln 01 full speed over rough ground

Thanks ore extended to the Ponzerbrigode 12 'Oberplolz'. OberstleutnOnl SChOfer

and Hauplmonn Joos, the Ponzerbatollton 33. OberleutenontBruf'lS, os well as Androos

Kirchhoff, Egan Merk, Rolond Hochstorter. WOlfgang longwuchl, Hert>erI HaPt and Peler

Blume.

Abllrevia~ons

Pz6U '" PonzerbotoiUon (Tonk boltallon)

PZl6tl", Panzerlehrbataliion (Tonk training bottolion)

GebPzBtl; Gebirgsponzertxltoilion (Mountain tonk lXl"olion)

The digital

ORGANIZATION CHART: BATTALION

(DRGABAD

PanzellJatailOll (aj niGfiid ballllliohl

!ArmY Sln....... 51

1st CO!!!l!O!!J -life Oleadquarl«Si!feadq_ COp!paAJI

-Banalon command group

-COllltlanv command souad

-Signal section

-ScouIIHecce platoon

-Ambulance platoon

-Loulsucs Platoon

-Maintenance Platoon

1.1........ or Banalloo command

Shoulder badge or 5

(GE) Panzerclivision.

2. M113 command post

6. won ATV. 16. llrad motorbike

4. Bergepanzer 3 BUU8I1U1V

2n,d. 3nt. 4th, 8m annoren COmBan! eaCh with

1. Wolf. 1JlleDCIard 2. 2. tzucll

13.1Bof/8flI 2

-ComPanv command SQuad

-four Dlatoons

Shoulder badge of 7

(GEl Panzerdivision.

Crew, Mobilitv and Firepower of the leopard 2 Dante Tank

Shoulder badge of 10

(GE) Panzerdivision.

Shoulder badge of

Kampflruppenschule (combat

troop school). the lraining

unit 01 the German Army

tank, reconnaissance and

mechanized Jnfanlry.

The Federal Republic 01 Germany and the USA parted ways aller the "Battle Tank: 70' project was cancelled. The

USA then built the M1 Abrams battle tank, and Germany began developing a completely new tank:, the "Leopard 2". The

!irst M1 Abrams standard vehicles were !ilted wilh lhe 105mm gun, Laler the German 1.20mm Rheinmatall gun of the

Leopard 2 battle tank would be installed on the M1A1 version of the Abrams. This photo shows an Ml o! the 2nd US

Cavalry Regiment and a Leopard 2A4 (5th batch) tank 01 Panlerbatallion 293 during "Reforger 88" maneuvers. (W.

Langwucht).

-~'-~-'~

•

The crew of the Leopard 2 consisls of four tankers: tank comman6er, driver, gunner, and assistant gunner. The tank commander is responsible lor the

vehICle. gIVes orders regardmg the direc1lon and speed to the driver, and controls firepower in banle. The dnver dnYes the heavy, 55-tonne leopard 2 banle

tank on the instructions of the commaflder. The gunner is responsible lor firing the tank's 12Qmm gun under direction 01 the commander. The loonh member

of the crew is the assistant gunner who loads the 120mm gun with cartridges weighing between 19 and 23 kg (42 and 50 lb.). He is also responsible for

operating the anti·aircraft machine gun on the turret. The Leopard 2 rires KE munitions (KE = kinetic energy impact projectile with initial high speed) from the

120mm U44 smoothbore gun, which is called the APFSDS·T, seen al left in this photo. At right is the MZ mUnitions (MZ '" All-purpose hollow charged and

detonation shells with a low starting speed), also known as HEAT·MP, which can be used against all targets, including bunkers. The cartridgoo are fired

w~hout casings.

cenTral Europe is Ihreaded with many rivers and lakes. The Leopard 2

can cross lakes of one meIer (3.3 feet) in depth. By attaching supplementary

equipITlen1. such as that seen on this Leopard of Panzerbataillon 4/63, thiS

depth can be Increased 10 2,35 meters (7.7Ieet).

A Leopard 2 batlle tank 01 4th Company 01 PanzerbalaJlion 63 is filted

WIth a special snorkel. Using this snorkel it is possible to drive underwater

down to a depth 01 4 meters (13 leet).