Urban Leopard 2 Variant Planned

[BoyElroy]

Jan. 25, 2006

Urban Leopard 2 Variant Planned

CHRISTOPHER F FOSS JDW Land Forces Contributing Editor Munich, Germany

A heavy armoured vehicle based on the Leopard 2 main battle tank (MBT) but optimised for urban operations is being developed by Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW).

Dubbed the Leopard 2 Peace Support Operation (PSO) vehicle, a demonstrator prototype is expected to be shown in public for the first time in mid-2006.

The Leopard 2 MBT's highest level of protection is over the frontal arc, with the emphasis on protection against armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding-sabot (APFSDS) and high-explosive antitank (HEAT) attack. However, recent combat experience has shown that in urban operations the main threat to an MBT can come from a much wider range of angles in the form of mines, improvised explosive devices and direct-fire weapons, such as the widely deployed RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

KMW has already developed and tested a new mine protection kit for the Leopard 2 that is being installed in a batch of vehicles for Germany and Sweden and could also be fitted to the Leopard 2 PSO. This provides a high level of protection against anti-tank mines and explosively formed penetrator-type ordnance.

While the ideal solution wouldbe to extend enhanced protection through a full 360°, this is not possible without increasing the overall combat weight to an unacceptable level.

On the Leopard 2 PSO, new advanced passive armour side-skirts will be fitted above the front five road wheels and extra turret side armour added that extends to the rear of the turret bustle.

The optics of the Leopard 2 PSO will also be protected and an integrated command and control system fitted. The machine gun on the commander's cupola will be replaced by a KMW remote-controlled weapon station on the turret roof to the rear of the loader's hatch. This can be equipped with a 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine gun or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher. A searchlight will be mounted coax ially with the main armament.

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[Rictor]

Dubbed the Leopard 2 Peace Support Operation (PSO) vehicle, a demonstrator prototype is expected to be shown in public for the first time in mid-2006.

How Orwellian.

[Thor]

This seems to be a game of words since, as far as I know, it has about the same features as the new swedish-german "TUSK" version of Leopard 2 (named Stridsvagn 122B in Sweden).

The total weight will increase to 75 metric tons. We will probably incorporate the new AAC (Active Armour Concept) as well but I don't know if the germans will do that.

Here's a link with brief info on AAC (in swedish only).
http://www.nyteknik.se/pub/ipsart.asp?art_id=42452

[James]

It keeps the 120mm gun, no? And do Leos have that same Rheinmental gun that the US Abrams has?

Just curious.

[FallenAngel]

It keeps the 120mm gun, no? And do Leos have that same Rheinmental gun that the US Abrams has?

Just curious.

Yes and no. The Leo2 up to A5 have the same L44 gun used in the Abrams and Japanese Type 90. The Leo2A6 has an L55 gun which is over a meter longer than the L44 (44 caliber = 5.3m long. 55 Caliber = 6.6 meters long.) giving it a higher muzzle velocity.

IIRC the higher velocity is meant to help the German tungstun penetrators achieve performance approaching the DU penetrators used by Abrams.

[AmericanImperialist]

Wow how innovative!

Maybe they can call it Euro-TUSK:

[Thor]

More like Super-TUSK.

[Greek soldier]

Well, how about this...??

[AmericanImperialist]

More like Super-TUSK.

...................

[Thor]

Considering that the Abrams TUSK was a quick fix designed to be fitted in the field to meet imminent operational needs, and that the swedish-german project has run x number of years and is a real throughout upgrade. Take a guess.

[AmericanImperialist]

Considering that the Abrams TUSK was a quick fix designed to be fitted in the field to meet imminent operational needs, and that the swedish-german project has run x number of years and is a real throughout upgrade. Take a guess.

Well I can't read the article you posted so why don't you translate it for me and I will "take a guess".

[Thor]

It was about AAC and not about Strv 122B.

[Kitsune]

Wow how innovative!

But you have to admit that it were the Israelis who were first to move into that direction not the Americans with their TUSK. The Merkava tanks have various features to enhance performance in an urban combat setting.

[joshfox0]

omglzorz t3h eur0pianz r copyin t3h Mericans.

oh wait the US copyed europian designs for a long time before that you say? and then they went on to copy the israeli design? whoops best be quite.

Anyway the PSO (anyone notice how close that comes to pos :lol) looks like it'll be good however im just still no big fan of a tank in a city.

[sp2c]

the tankers feel that the l55 barrel is too long for urban combat, I'd go back to the l44 or even replace it all together with a 120mm mortar

maybe add a giat 20mm overhead weapon station on the roof