>Type Main battle tank
>Place of origin West Germany
>Wars Bosnian War, War in Afghanistan
>Weight 42.2 tonnes (increased on later models from original 40.0 tonnes)
>Length 9.54/8.29 m (gun forward/rearward)
>Width 3.37 m
>Height 2.39/2.70 m (turret roof/absolute)
>Crew 4 (commander, driver, gunner, radio operator/loader)
>Armor steel 19-21.7mm and 10-70mm RHA
>Main armament 1 x 105mm Royal Ordnance L7A3 L/52 rifled gun (13 rounds in turret 42 rounds in hull)
>Secondary armament 2 x 7.62 mm MG 3 or FN MAG (co axial and commander's hatch) (5500 rounds)
>Engine MTU MB 838 CaM 500, 10-cylinder, 37.4 litres, multi fuel engine 830 PS (819 hp, 610 kW) at 2200 RPM
>Power/weight 19.6 PS/tonne
>Suspension Torsion-bar
>range 600 km (on road), 450 km (cross-country)
>Speed 65 km/h
The Leopard (or Leopard 1) is a main battle tank designed and produced in West Germany that first entered service in 1965. Developed in an era when HEAT warheads were thought to make conventional heavy armour of limited value, the Leopard focused on firepower in the form of the German-built version of the British L7 105-mm gun, and improved cross-country performance that was unmatched by other designs of the era.
The design started as a collaborative project between Germany and France in the 1950s, but the partnership ended and the final design was ordered by the Bundeswehr, production starting in 1965. In total 6,485 Leopard tanks have been built, of which 4,744 were battle tanks and 1741 were utility and anti-aircraft variants, not including eighty prototypes and pre-series vehicles.
The Leopard quickly became a standard of European forces, and eventually served as the main battle tank in over a dozen countries worldwide. Since 1990, the Leopard 1 has gradually been relegated to secondary roles in most armies. In the German Army, the Leopard 1 MBTs have been phased out in 2003 while Leopard 1 derived vehicles are still widely used. The Leopard 2 MBTs have taken over the MBT role. Leopard hulls have been re-used in a wide variety of roles.
The design started as a collaborative project between Germany and France in the 1950s, but the partnership ended and the final design was ordered by the Bundeswehr, production starting in 1965. In total 6,485 Leopard tanks have been built, of which 4,744 were battle tanks and 1741 were utility and anti-aircraft variants, not including eighty prototypes and pre-series vehicles.
The Leopard quickly became a standard of European forces, and eventually served as the main battle tank in over a dozen countries worldwide. Since 1990, the Leopard 1 has gradually been relegated to secondary roles in most armies. In the German Army, the Leopard 1 MBTs have been phased out in 2003 while Leopard 1 derived vehicles are still widely used. The Leopard 2 MBTs have taken over the MBT role. Leopard hulls have been re-used in a wide variety of roles.
