Leopard 2A7
Posted on 05/23/2015 3:50:33 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
The German Defense Ministry announced its plans for the "Leo 3" (as it's likely to be nicknamed in Germany) in a report on Friday to the Bundestag, which was obtained by multiple media outlets.
"Technologies and concepts will be investigated between 2015 and 2018 in joint studies also involving German industry," Markus Grübel, a deputy minister in the German Defense Ministry told his parliamentary colleagues. He cited the Leopard 2's long years of service as the reason that a new battle tank was required.
The Leopard 2's 50-year service life is set to expire in 2030. The tank, which came into service in 1979, was conceived as part of a plan for Cold War-era land defense. Germany commissioned more than 2,000 of them at the peak of the arms race of the early 1980s. Currently, however, only about 240 are in active service; but last month, citing the security situation in Ukraine, Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen annnounced plans to reactivate 100 mothballed Leopard 2 tanks. In November of last year, von der Leyen also announced a move to add more than 100 aditional "Boxer" armored personnel carriers to the Bundeswehr's ranks.
The Defense Ministry is in the process of drawing up a new "white paper" listing Germany's security policies and goals for the present day.
The manufacturer of the current Leopard 2, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, is scheduled to fuse with French firm Nexter Systems in the course of this year. This has prompted media reports in Germany saying that the new Franco-German firm, with more than 6,000 staff and a combined turnover of around 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion), could be a strong candidate to win the contract to develop a new battle tank for the German Bundeswehr.
(Excerpt) Read more at dw.de ...
Leopard 2A7
the new tank can take a beating. The parts last twice as long but cost 40% more. The clutch has 4 forward and 5 reverse gears.
TREADHEAD Ping
The engineers will have their work cut out for themselves as a Franco-German tank will need the organic capability to invade itself.
why do all tank guns have the bulge half way up the barrel? what does it do?
How soon before the US develops an “M2” main battle tank?
Fume extractor. Holes in the barrel allow propellant fumes to exit and diffuse from there. Beats the heck out of propellant fumes in the crew compartment upon opening the breech to reload.
It will look good in military parades, run on German beer, and shoot white flags.
Why bother? Little girls don’t need weapons. They will just make the Islamist mad at them.
Bingo! we have a winner!
“Why bother? Little girls don’t need weapons. They will just make the Islamist mad at them.”
“Fume extractor. Holes in the barrel allow propellant fumes to exit and diffuse from there. Beats the heck out of propellant fumes in the crew compartment upon opening the breech to reload.”
I believe that they also help to reduce the recoil
Don't even try it - addicting! ;^)
French are insisting on an advanced, foolproof GPS navigation system that will only allow the tanks to move east,
Partly developed in France and with more gears reverse than forward . . .
Wondering the same thing, doubt it’ll even be discussed until the mid 2020’s though or 2030 even. I’d like to see them start work on a Minuteman IV already too. What we have are good, but old as all heck.
I prefer WoT
If the Russkis ever invade 21st century Germany the krauts are going to need the French to come save their asses.
Likewise with War of Tanks Blitz on iPad. Plus there’s the PC version, but I do play it.
Don’t, on that last.
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