20 Leopard II A4M CAN handed over to Can. Army

Waylander

Defense Professional
Verified Defense Pro
Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann handed over 20 Leopard II A4M CAN to the Canuck army. They are former Leopard II A4NL bought from the dutch and upgraded by KMW.

Apparently alot of lessons learned from A-Stan were included in the upgrade. The tanks got additional turret and hull side armor from the PSO/A7 package as well as the additional glacis armor and anti-mine package which are already in service with the leased Leopard II A6M CAN. Provisions for mine-rollers and other engineer stuff are also included.

What is most interesting is the additional frontal turret armor. It's not as extensive as the KWS II upgrade of the Leopard II A6M. Naturally duell situations against enemy high end MBTs are not expected.

I wonder if the tanks also got other stuff like an upgraded FCS, electric turret drive and upgraded recoil mechanism like other modern Leo IIs.
Defenitely a fine track.

Here are some pictures:
http://defense-update.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/leo2a4mcan.jpg
http://defense-update.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/kmw_leo2a4m_can.jpg
 

Red

New Member
Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann handed over 20 Leopard II A4M CAN to the Canuck army. They are former Leopard II A4NL bought from the dutch and upgraded by KMW.

Apparently alot of lessons learned from A-Stan were included in the upgrade. The tanks got additional turret and hull side armor from the PSO/A7 package as well as the additional glacis armor and anti-mine package which are already in service with the leased Leopard II A6M CAN. Provisions for mine-rollers and other engineer stuff are also included.

What is most interesting is the additional frontal turret armor. It's not as extensive as the KWS II upgrade of the Leopard II A6M. Naturally duell situations against enemy high end MBTs are not expected.

I wonder if the tanks also got other stuff like an upgraded FCS, electric turret drive and upgraded recoil mechanism like other modern Leo IIs.
Defenitely a fine track.

Here are some pictures:
http://defense-update.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/leo2a4mcan.jpg
http://defense-update.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/kmw_leo2a4m_can.jpg
Nevermind. Edited. I did not read the preceding post in full. Sorry
 
Last edited:

kwaigonegin

New Member
Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann handed over 20 Leopard II A4M CAN to the Canuck army. They are former Leopard II A4NL bought from the dutch and upgraded by KMW.

Apparently alot of lessons learned from A-Stan were included in the upgrade. The tanks got additional turret and hull side armor from the PSO/A7 package as well as the additional glacis armor and anti-mine package which are already in service with the leased Leopard II A6M CAN. Provisions for mine-rollers and other engineer stuff are also included.

What is most interesting is the additional frontal turret armor. It's not as extensive as the KWS II upgrade of the Leopard II A6M. Naturally duell situations against enemy high end MBTs are not expected.

I wonder if the tanks also got other stuff like an upgraded FCS, electric turret drive and upgraded recoil mechanism like other modern Leo IIs.
Defenitely a fine track.

Here are some pictures:
]
Wow! that straight on frontal view of the leo 2 looked stacked!! probably impervious to even a nuclear detonation LOL
 

eckherl

The Bunker Group
Verified Defense Pro
@Waylander

I have heard rumors that South Africa may be showing some interest in the LEO 2 A4M after watching a demonstration, how strong is the commitment for additional talks.
 

Waylander

Defense Professional
Verified Defense Pro
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  • #7
They have a stated requirement for new tanks for some time now. Financial and political problems prevented them from making a decision but their time is running out as the Olifants are falling apart.

Just like for Chile zeroed A4s offer more bang for the bucks than most other possible procurements while still retaining the ability to bring them up to a pretty advanced version later on.

The Leos showed their ability to operate in hot desert conditions in Afghanistan, Africa, Spain, Turkey and Greece.

With them they would operate the most potent MBT fleet south of the Sahara.

Rheinmetall invests into the South African defense sector since some time. A side effect is that a deal now looks more favourable to SA as their own industry benefits from it, too.
 

Pathfinder-X

Tribal Warlord
Verified Defense Pro
At one point some (around 2003-ish) genious in the DND seriously contemplated the thought of replacing the C2s (Leopard 1)with LAV III 105mm MGS. That idea went out the window after deployment of C2 tanks in A-Stan.
 

Waylander

Defense Professional
Verified Defense Pro
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  • #9
Thankfully, the reality on the ground in A-Stan showed that light mobile gun platforms are not a substitute for tanks even when one isn't facing the red hordes anymore.

Since the end of the cold war tanks proofed their worth time and time again: Gulf Wars I+II, Balkans, Georgia, 2nd Chzechen war, A-Stan, etc.

Because of this I see the extreme downsizing of tank forces with fear. IMO at least the big countries should retain one heavy devision so that they can deploy at least a brigade worth of heavy troops which are fully trained in high intensity combined arms warfare.
It's also a question of preserving skills. Getting lost skills back is much harder than just to expand from an existing base of experience.

Because of this it was so easy for Canadian forces to change from their old Leopard C2 to the Leopard IIA6M CAN.
They just needed some training in Germany and fully exploit all the strength of the Leo II once it arrived in the sandbox.

Had the Canadian Forces operated just light wheeled platforms before it would have been much harder.
 
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