Leopard 2 A7 Enters Service

The latest version of the Leopard 2 main battle tank was handed over to the German and Danish armed forces by general contractor Krauss-Maffei Wegmann on October 29, 2019. 40 years after its first introduction to the forces, NATO’s standard tank has once again been thoroughly overhauled to meet the threat posed by the operations.

Protection, mobility, firepower and controllability have been significantly increased. Key features include an even higher level of protection, a powerful power supply, new NBC and air conditioning systems and the integration of C4 I systems to meet the requirements of a modern networked operation. The modernization of the powertrain and further optimization of weapon stabilization during travel enhance the agility and combat strength of the vehicles.

Both nations will receive comparable variants of the seventh generation of the Leopard 2 main battle tank. The Danish army will receive a total of 44 Leopard 2 A7s by 2022. The Bundeswehr will be equipped with a total of 104 Leopard 2 A7V by 2023. The army will then have a total of 328 Leopard 2 main battle tanks. It is planned that in the medium term all tanks of the army will be brought up to the same technical standard.

Gerhard Heiming