The great tension accumulated between the western and eastern defensive blocks in

the 1950s and 1960s led the German strategists to undertake the development of a
very advanced tank, designed to stop an hypothetical invasion from the East. With
such perspective in mind the German engineers conceived and developed the Leopard 2
main battle tank which, thirty years after the beginning of the project, was
considered by many the best on its class. The development of the new German tank
was started with a project conceived during the 1960s. In that time Germans and
Americans still worked together in the MBT-70 program, which put in a second plane
the Leopard 2 project. The MBT-70 was a 50-ton tank armed with a 152-millimeter
cannon/missile launcher - similar to that of the M-60A2 main battle tank and the
Sheridan light tank - and fitted with hydropneumatic suspension, which allowed to
lower the height of the tank at will.[p]
When the development of the MBT-70 was cancelled in January 1970 the Germans
decided to impulse the development of the Leopard 2. The project was contracted
with Krauss-Maffei of Munich, which had created the preceding Leopard 1 and had the
collaboration of many other German companies. The works gave the first tangible
results in 1972 with the presentation of the first prototype, to which another
fifteen would follow until 1974. In that group, which comprised an additional
turret for diverse trials, were included exemplars which were similar regarding
their external appearance but different regarding their propulsion plants,
suspension systems, configuration of armament, fire control devices and other
aspects.[p]
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[fs]One of the prototypes of the Leopard 2 created in 1973-74, armed with a
Rheinmetall 120-millimeter smoothbore cannon.[/span][p]
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[fs]One of the prototypes of the Leopard 2, fitted with a turret similar to that of
the series version.[/span][p]
During the process of validation of configurations, in 1974, it was signed an
agreement through which Germany and United States would join their efforts for the
conception of a new model. As a result the Leopard 2 AV (Austere Version) made
apparition, which was armed with the L7 105-millimeter rifled cannon and
incorporated a Hughes fire control system with laser rangefinder and a different
suspension, among other modifications. Four different turrets were made, two of
them armed with the Rheinmetall 120-millimeter smoothbore cannon. The German model
was destined to compete against the American prototypes Chrysler XM-1 and General
Motors XM-2, and was brought to Aberdeen, in Maryland, for taking part on the
diverse trials. The German tank was not accepted by the United States Army, which
selected the Chrysler XM-1 prototype in November 1976. However, the American tank
would be armed from 1985 with the German 120-millimeter smoothbore cannon instead
of the L7 105-millimeter rifled cannon that equipped the first 3000 exemplars
produced.[p]
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[fs]The Leopard 2 AV (Austere Version) was created in 1976 to take part in the
contest opened by the United States Army for a new main battle tank.[/span][p]
However, this rejection did not discourage the German Army (Bundesheer), which in
1977 selected this model and signed the construction of 1800 exemplars, of which
910 were manufactured by Krauss-Maffei and the rest by MaK. The first pre-
production exemplars, which were used for the initial training and presentation in
the academies, were received in the late 1978, and the first series exemplar was
delivered to Munich in October 1979, year during which another five were delivered.
The production plants achieved the expected pace and in 1982 twenty-five exemplars
were delivered each month, to be incorporated to the first line units. Additional
lots were continually ordered so that until 1992, when the last production exemplar
was delivered, eight orders succeeded each other for a total of 2125 exemplars, of
which 380 corresponded to the basic model (later upgraded to the A2 version), 750
to the A1 version, 300 to the A3 version and 695 to the A4 version. At the
beginning of the 21st century 175 exemplars of the A5 version had been newly
produced, while 285 older exemplars were in process of being upgraded to the new
version. In June 1998 it was presented in EuroSatory one of the new tanks of the A6
version, which armed with the new L55 cannon represented the tendency of the near
future.[p]
Undoubtedly, the Leopard 2 is one of the most perfected tanks in the world and the
Germans were succesful when designing a tank which satisfactorily complied the
three requisites for which a main battle tank is valued: mobility, firepower and
protection. For a large number of military topic writers, the Leopard 2 was back
then in the 1980s - and is nowadays - the best main battle tank in service. It was
not a unanimous opinion, in a moment in which it had competitors as prominent as
the American M1, the Soviet T-72, the Israeli Merkava and the British Challenger.
But it is a fact that points up the exceptional characteristics of this tank. At
the same time it was consolidating as the European model after being adopted not
only by Germany but also by Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. However,
the exportation to Saudi Arabia was not authorized by Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.[p]
The reliability and possibilities of the model, proven by tankers from Germany and
other nations that praised its prestations, helped its exportation to diverse
countries, being Netherlands the first foreign nation that adopted it, signing in
1979 an order of 445 exemplars, of which the first four were delivered in 1981. In
August 1983 Switzerland ordered 380 exemplars, the largest part of which,
designated Pz 87, were produced under licence by Contraves between 1987 and 1993.
In June 1994 Sweden ordered 120 exemplars, which began to be delivered in 1997;
meanwhile, the country rented a lot of 160 exemplars to put into service while the
ordered exemplars were in production. In November 1994 Spain signed an agreement
which involved the cession under leasing, for a term of five years, of 108
exemplars which back then were in service with the German Army. To this cession
followed in February 1998 an agreement that approved the construction of 219
Leopard 2E (Spanish version of the Leopard 2A5) and sixteen Leopard 2ER (armored
recovery vehicles) by the national industry, to be delivered between 2001 and 2006.
[p]
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[fs]Spain acquired in regime of leasing 108 exemplars of the Leopard 2A4 which
equipped two armored battalions of the Brunete I Mechanized Division.[/span][p]
[b]Characteristics of the Leopard II[/span][p]
The layout of the Leopard 2 is conventional, with the driver located forward, the
turret - where the commander, the gunner and the loader are accommodated - in the
center, and the engine and transmission behind. The 1500-horsepower MTU MB 873 Ka-
501 Diesel engine, originally developed for the MBT-70, allows the Leopard 2 to
overcome obstacles where other tanks would get stuck. The
powerful and robust engine is associated to a Renk HSWL 354 hydrokinetic
transmission, with four speeds forward and two backward, and is capable of moving
with agility the almost sixty tonnes
of the A5 version in any type of terrain, in part thanks to the design of the
chassis, with a maximum speed of 72 kilometers/hour when moving forward and 31
kilometers/hour when moving backward. The suspension system is one of torsion bar
type with shock absorbers, and the wheel ensemble includes seven road wheels, a
rear drive sprocket, a fore idler and four return rollers.
The whole propulsion plant can be removed within fifteen minutes for being repaired
or replaced. The fuel capacity is 1200 liters and allows a maximum operational
range of 550 kilometers. The Leopard 2 can ford streams of up to one meter in depth
without preparation, up to 2.35 meters with preparation and up to four meters with
snorkel.[p]
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[fs]Due to its design and prestations, the Leopard 2A5 is considered one of the
most capable main battle tanks, which features the maximum level in the three basic
aspects that are required in every armored vehicle: firepower, mobility and
protection.[/span][p]
Initially it was thought that the armor of the Leopard 2 was one of spaced type,
but in the late 1976 it was revealed that it was an armor of Chobham type (British
patent) which would provide a superior protection against any type of projectile
known. This is a laminated armor comprising parallel steel and ceramic plates,
applied to the hull and the turret. The manufacturer claimed that such armor would
resist impacts from piercing, shaped-charge and high-explosive squash-head
projectiles, because the intermediate ceramic plate could disperse the piercing
power or the shockwave associated to an impact. The A5 version increased the
protection on the frontal arc, which was redesigned and optimized for facing future
threats ranging from HEAT projectiles to anti-tank missiles. The Leopard 2
incorporates a NBC (Nuclear-Biological-Chemical) protection system of collective
type (unlike that of the American M1 Abrams, which is of individual type) and a
heating system for the driving and combat compartments.[p]
The first prototypes were armed with a Rheinmetall 105-millimeter smoothbore
cannon, but the last prototypes incorporated the 120-millimeter smoothbore cannon
which later equipped the series vehicles. The cannon had a length of 5.28 meters,
equivalent to 44 calibers, and a bore evacuator in the middle of the tube. It had a
vertical arc ranging between +20 and -9 degrees and an elevation speed of 9.5
degrees per second, which means three seconds for covering the whole vertical arc.
The turret, operated through an electro-hydraulic system, could rotate 48 degrees
per second, which means less than eight seconds for a 360-degree turn. The cannon
is stabilized in both azimuth and elevation and is fitted with a thermal sleeve to
minimize the effect of temperature variation in the straightness of the tube. The
L44 cannon can be replaced by the L55, which is 1.32 meters longer and achieves a
higher muzzle velocity.[p]
The cannon fires two basic types of fin-stabilized projectiles, which thanks to
their fins can be fired with accuracy from the smoothbore cannon. The small fins
are deployed on the rear part of projectiles immediately after leaving the bore,
which allows to hit the target with a projectile that does not rotate. This is
important for using with effectiveness shaped-charge projectiles, whose effect is
significantly dispersed if the projectile rotates. The anti-tank projectile is one
of piercing type and detachable base, which has an effective range beyond 2200
meters, distance at which it could perforate the triple heavy target of the NATO.
The second type is the shaped-charge projectile, designed for being used against
fortifications and other targets, and which has a semicombustible case. After
firing the projectile only the brass base remains, which falls inside the combat
compartment releasing a very limited amount of fumes. The workload of the loader is
eased by an hydraulic loading mechanism.[p]
An MG-3 7.62-millimeter machine gun is installed co-axially to the cannon. Some
prototypes had a 40-millimeter grenade launcher on the top of the turret, to fire
anti-personnel grenades, but the series vehicle had instead another 7.62-millimeter
machine gun installed on a conventional mounting, which could be used against
aircraft. The tank carries 42 projectiles for the cannon and 3000
for the machine guns. The largest part of the 120-millimeter projectiles are stored
in an armored magazine located in the rear part of the turret, which is designed to
explode upward when hit by a projectile, to prevent harm to the crew members. At
each side of the turret there are eight smoke launchers, arranged in two rows,
which can also fire anti-personnel grenades.[p]
The very advanced fire control system included in the early models a
laser/stereoscopic rangefinder, which along with the two-axis stabilization allowed
to fire while in movement with a high possibility of hitting the target. Standard
equipment included passive night vision systems and stabilized sights. The gunner
has a x12 magnification sight (EMES-12 or EMES-15), with a field of view of 86
thousandths of degree, and the commander has a x8 magnification periscope (PERI-R12
or PERI-R17). A ballistic computer automatically determines the parameters which
affect the precision of each shot. There is also a TCCS (Tank Command and Control
System) system which links diverse subsystems that provide battlefield awareness,
orientation in the terrain and diverse indications, and manage tactical
information, commands, messages and alarms through radio communication.[p]
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Since its introduction in 1979, the Leopard 2 series has been continuously updated
until reaching a very high degree of sophistication. The following images show an
exemplar of the A6 version armed with the L55 cannon which was presented in June
1998 in the EuroSatory exhibition of Paris. In the demonstration it was seen how
the 1500-horsepower propulsion plant confers a great agility and the capability to
overcome the largest part of obstacles that the tank can find during its advance,
granting superior possibilities when moving on rough terrain.[p]
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Reduced space: Despite its notable size, the space that the three crew members have
inside the turret is minimal, and the process of loading the main weapon demands
great effort from the loader, who has to move ammunitions that reach a weight of 24
kilograms.[p]
Fire control system: In the right side of the turret are located some of the
elements that constitute the fire control system, among which are the PERI-R17
stabilized panoramic periscope
and the EMES-15 stabilized sight which combines a thermal channel and a laser
rangefinder.[p]
Wegman launchers: In each of the sides of the tank are located two quadruple
launchers which can fire smoke canisters, for its own concealment, or anti-
personnel grenades with which to hit enemy
infantrymen.[p]
Upper hatches: In the upper part of the turret are located the hatches for the
commander and the radio operator. They can be seen also diverse elements used for
observation and firing, all
of them of German origin and having very advanced prestations for the time in which
they were designed.[p]
Propulsion plant: Under two large circular vent grates is located the excellent MTU
MB 873 Ka-501 turbocharged Diesel engine of twelve cylinders, which
reaches its maximum power, calculated on 1500 horsepower, at 2600 revolutions per
minute.[p]
Advanced protection: The front of the turret and the hull have been manufactured
with a spaced armor which combines steel plates, ceramic elements,
advanced fibers and plastics, a combination capable of stopping the explosion of
projectiles and anti-tank missiles.[p]
Wheel ensemble: Constituted by seven road wheels on each side, associated to
torsion bars and shock absorbers, the wheel ensemble moves two Diehl tracks which
confer a great tactical mobility in any type of terrain.[p]
Main cannon: On its L44 configuration, this 120-millimeter cannon is capable of
hitting, during daytime and nighttime, targets on a radius of three kilometers and
which move at high speed.[p]
[box]
[b]Specifications for early Leopard II[/span][p]
Crew: 4[p]
Armament: One Rheinmetall 120-millimeter 44-caliber cannon; one MG-3 7.62-
millimeter co-axial machine gun; one MG-3 7.62-millimeter machine gun in the top of
the turret; eight smoke launchers in each side of the turret[p]
Ammunitions: 42 x 120-millimeter cannon; 3000 x 7.62-millimeter machine gun[p]
Armor: Chobham type of parallel plates[p]
Lenght (with cannon forward): 9.66 meters[p]
Lenght (with cannon backward): 8.49 meters[p]
Lenght (hull): 7.72 meters[p]
Width: 3.70 meters[p]
Height (to the top of the commander's cupola): 2.79 meters[p]
Weight (in order of combat): 55.2 tonnes[p]
Ground pressure: 0.85 kilograms/square centimeter[p]
Engine: MTU MB 873 Ka-501 Diesel with 12 cylinders, water cooled, and developing
1500 horsepower at 2600 revolutions per minute[p]
Power/weight ratio: 27.17 horsepower/tonne[p]
Maximum speed (in road): 72 kilometers/hour[p]
Maximum speed (in countryside): 55 kilometers/hour[p]
Maximum operational range (in road): 550 kilometers[p]
Maximum surmountable trench: 3 meters[p]
Maximum surmountable step: 1.10 meters[p]
Maximum surmountable slope: 60 percent[p]
Maximum sideward slope: 30 percent[p]
Maximum fording (without preparation): 1 meter[p]
Maximum fording (with preparation): 2.35 meters[p]
Maximum fording (with schnorkel): 4 meters[p]
[/div][p]
[box]
[b]Specifications for Leopard 2A5[/span][p]
Price: 8 millions of dollars[p]
Crew: 4[p]
Armament: One Rheinmetall 120-millimeter 44-caliber cannon; one MG-3 7.62-
millimeter co-axial machine gun; one MG-3 7.62-millimeter machine gun in the top of
the turret; eight smoke launchers in each side of the turret[p]
Armor: Laminated and spaced[p]
Lenght (total): 9.97 meters[p]
Lenght (hull): 7.72 meters[p]
Width: 3.74 meters[p]
Height (to the top of the periscope): 3 meters[p]
Weight (in order of combat): 59.7 tonnes[p]
Ground pressure: 0.92 kilograms/square centimeter[p]
Engine: MTU MB 873 Ka-501 turbocharged Diesel with 12 cylinders, developing 1500
horsepower at 2600 revolutions per minute[p]
Power/weight ratio: 25.12 horsepower/tonne[p]
Maximum speed (in road): 72 kilometers/hour[p]
Maximum speed (in countryside): 55 kilometers/hour[p]
Maximum operational range (in road): 500 kilometers[p]
Maximum surmountable trench: 3 meters[p]
Maximum surmountable step: 1.10 meters[p]
Maximum surmountable slope: 60 percent[p]
Maximum fording (without preparation): 1 meter[p]
[/div][p]