Germany

Krauss - Maffei Leopard 1A4 to 1A5 Series Germarry

The Leopard 1A4 was the last production model of the Leopard 1 series and is virtually the same as the Leopard 1 A3 but with a computerised fire control system coupled to a fully stabilised main armament in place of the gunner's mechanically linked stereoscopic rangefinder sight.

A total of 250 were built of which 150 have been transferred to Turkey as military aid, after modification to the new build Leopard 1T1 (1A3) standard already in service with the Turkish Army.

In the early eighties West Germany trialled a number of computerised fire control systems in the Leopard 1 MET for a proposed retrofit package. The system chosen was the EMES 18 and this, together with a passive thermal imaging night fighting system, was used from 1986 to 1992 to upgrade 1300 Leopard 1A1A1 and Leopard 1A1A2 vehicles to the Leopard 1A5 standard. However, this conversion was originally to be an interim standard as a further modification package was deemed necessary to improve the tank's battlefield survivability factor by enhancing the armour protection with add-on armour and adding additional protection systems such as an explosion suppression unit to the turret area. This variant was to be designated Leopard 1A6. A batch of 75 upgraded Leopard 1 AS tanks has beer passed to Greece by the Germans.

A number of combat support vehicle types have either been built on 01 converted from the basic Leopard 1 chassis. These include the Bergepanze] and the Product-improved Bergepanzei ARVs, the Pionierpanzer 1 anc Pionierpanzer 2 AEVs and the Bibei

AVLB.

There is also a tank dozer conversior kit used on the Leopard 1 and 2 variants

Specification

First prototype: 1960 First production: Leopard 1A4 1974-75 (250 built by Krupp MaK and Krauss Maffei); Leopard 1A5 1986-92 (1300 conversions by Wegmann from Leopard 1A1A1/1A1A2) Current users: Germany (Leopard 1A4/1A5), Greece (Leopard 1A5), Turkey (Leopard 1A4 rebuilt to 1T1 Turkish Army standard) Crew: 4 Combat weight: 42 400 kg Ground pressure: 0.88 kg/cm2 Max. road speed: 65 km/h Length, gun forwards: 9.54 m Width (with skirts): 3.25 m Height (without AA gun): 2.76 m Ground clearance: 0.44 m Maximum range: 450 km Fording: unprepared 2.2m Gradient: 60% Side slope: 30% Vertical obstacle: l.lm Trench: 2.9m Powerpack: MTU MB 838 Ca M500 V-10 multi-fuel liquid-cooled diesel developing 830 hp coupled to a ZF 4 HP 250 transmission Armament: (main) 1 x 105 mm gun (55 rounds); (coaxial) 1 x 7.62 mm MG; (anti-aircraft) 1 x 7.62 mm MG; (smoke dischargers) 2 x4

German Army Leopard IAS.