Notes: The 
German Army after World War 2 was originally equipped with surplus US tanks, 
particularly the M47 and M48A2 at the time development of the Leopard began. 
However, the German concepts of tank use in combat began to diverge more 
and more from the US concepts, and by the 1950s, they felt that the M47 and 
M48A2 were not compatible with German concepts. 
The German Army’s concepts were to rely on speed and agility for primary 
protection, together with a more powerful main gun than used by those tanks; 
they also wanted to be able to use the standard bridges in Europe, as well as 
not destroy the roads with their tracks due to weight while they were training. 
In 1957, they ordered the development of what would become the Leopard 1. 
At first, this tank was to be a Franco-German-Italian project, but by 
1963, the French, Germans and Italians went their own ways due to differences in 
design philosophy, though the Italians would later buy the Leopard. 
(Also by 1963, the Germans realized that they could not stop the upward 
slide in weight, only keep the weight down as much as possible.) 
The first prototype appeared in 1961 and issue started in 1965. 
Though replaced in German service starting in 1979 by the Leopard 2, many 
countries are still using Leopard 1s as of 2009.
     The Leopard 1 
has a conventional crew layout, with the driver to the front left side, the 
commander on the right of the turret below and to the right of him, and the 
loader with a hatch on the left side of the turret. 
Alongside the driver is a large bin of ready ammunition for the main gun. 
The driver has three vision blocks allowing vision to the front and 
partially to each side.  The Leopard 
1 has a rare feature among tanks – the commander has auxiliary driving controls, 
and can drive the Leopard 1 from his cupola, if in a somewhat awkward fashion. 
He also has auxiliary controls for the main gun. 
The commander’s cupola has seven vision blocks giving him a 360-degree 
view, and he has a 20x periscope on the turret roof itself that can be rotated 
independently of the cupola and allows day/night vision. 
The commander’s hatch can be fully open, fully closed, or locked into a 
position that allows the commander to peek out at his surroundings, but is only 
open a little.  The periscope has an 
aiming reticule for use when firing his machinegun from under armor or for when 
he is using the main gun.  (In the 
latter case, an image of the gunner’s aiming reticule is projected onto the 
periscope.)
     The turret of 
the Leopard 1 is cast except for the roof, which is a plate of armor that is 
welded on.  (The position and design 
of the gunner’s sight required a flat roof, something that would not have been 
possible with an all-cast roof; the flat roof incidentally saved some weight.) 
     The Leopard 1 
has a fully automatic transmission. The engine is a Daimler-Benz DB-838 
830-horsepower supercharged diesel which can also run on JP4 jet fuel. 
The engine and transmission are combined into one powerpack that can be 
removed as a unit.  The suspension 
is optimized for some of the roughest terrain around. The tracks are 
US-designed, but can be replaced with German-designed anti-skid tracks. 
In either case, the tracks have rubber track pads.
     The original 
intention was to arm the Leopard 1 with a Rheinmetall designed 105mm gun, but 
Rheinmetall had a hard time in development and fell way behind. 
As a result, the Germans chose a modification of the British L7A3 105mm 
gun, produced under license by Rheinmetall. 
A variant of the MG3 is the coaxial machinegun, and the commander has a 
standard pintle-mounted MG3 as his armament. 
Four smoke grenade launchers are on either side of the turret, attached 
to the forward side of the bustle rack on both sides. 
A pintle mount for a further MG3 machinegun can be mounted in front of 
the loader’s hatch, but in practice this is rarely done. 
Turret rotation is electro-hydraulic with a manual backup; the rotation 
system is made by Westinghouse and is the same as used on the M48 and M60 series 
of tanks.  A relatively-small 
searchlight can be mounted above the main gun if desired.
     
The Leopard 1A1
     
The second, third and 
fourth batches of Leopard 1s were improved Leopard 1A1s. 
The most important update was the replacement of the electro-hydraulic 
gun stabilization with an all-electric system designed by Cadillac-Gage; the 
most noticeable upgrade externally was the addition of the now-ubiquitous side 
skirts with their distinctive design. 
Accuracy and cannon tube life was also improved by the addition of a 
thermal jacket to the main gun.  The 
track pads were also replaced with ones that required only a single pin to mount 
them, and could be replaced if necessary with ones that have metal X-shaped 
crampons for use in extreme cold and ice conditions.
     Starting in 
1974, the Leopard 1A1s were further modified into the Leopard 1A1A1 standard. 
This involved the addition of appliqué armor to the turret and glacis. 
Fuel storage was also somewhat rearranged, yielding a little more fuel 
capacity.  In the early 1980s, these 
were also upgraded to the Leopard 1A1A2 standard, which added an image 
intensifier handed down from the Leopard 2 upgrade programs, in an armored box 
with armored shutters above and to the left of the main gun. 
The image intensifier was accessible by both the commander and gunner. 
All digital radios were installed a little later, creating the Leopard 
1A1A3.  Improvements to the image 
intensifier created the Leopard 1A1A4.
The Leopard 1A2
     In a way, the 
first 232 vehicles of the fifth batch, the Leopard 1A2s, were Leopard 1A1A1s 
with the extra armor designed into the turret and glacis instead of being 
appliqué.  However, the armor 
increase was a little bit better, being integrated into the design rather than 
being an afterthought.  The Leopard 
1A2 also used an NBC overpressure system with a collective NBC system as a 
backup and added a laser rangefinder. The Leopard 1A2 was first issued to German 
tankers in 1972, and production continued until 1974. 
Subtypes of the Leopard 1A2 included the Leopard 1A2A1, which had the 
same image intensifier as the Leopard 1A1A2; in addition, the driver also had an 
image intensification device which could be substituted for the forward vision 
block.  The Leopard 1A2A2 had the 
same digital radios as the Leopard 1A1A3. 
The Leopard 1A2A3 had both.  
When the main image intensifier was improved, the Leopard 1s involved did not 
receive a separate designation.
The Leopard 1A3
     The remaining 
110 vehicles of the fifth batch were built to the Leopard 1A3 standard. 
The turret of the Leopard 1A3 was much different from earlier versions; 
it was made of all-welded panels instead of the cast/welded turret of earlier 
versions.  This allowed 
Krauss-Maffei to include more advanced ceramic-sandwich armor into the turret. 
Glacis armor was also improved; though the thickness of the armor of the glacis 
and turret are not greatly changed, effective protection is greatly improved. A 
wedge-shaped gun mantlet, moving the main gun forward, as well as general 
changes to the main gun made the Leopard 1A3’s turret roomier than that of 
earlier versions. The commander received an improved sight. 
Subtypes were similar to the Leopard 1A1 and 1A2 – the Leopard 1A3A1 had 
added image intensifiers, the Leopard 1A3A2 had digital radios, and the Leopard 
1A3A3 had both.
The Leopard 1A4
     Delivery of the 
Leopard 1A4 began in 1974.  The 
Leopard 1A4 is very similar to the Leopard 1A3A3, but has dramatic improvements 
in fire control, including a ballistic computer and the more advanced EMES-12A1 
sighting system.  In addition, the 
commander was given an independent sight to allow a hunter-killer capability. 
Unfortunately, all the new equipment took enough space that 5 main gun 
rounds had to be deleted; virtually all of the main gun rounds (42 of them) are 
stored in the large ammo bin beside of the driver. 
The rest are in the bustle. Many countries used and are still using the 
1A4.
The Leopard 1A5
     In 1980, though 
no longer being used by Germany, Krauss-Maffei felt the Leopard 1 design still 
had some life in it, and began a large set of modifications that would lead to 
the Leopard 1A5.  As most later 
versions of the Leopard 1 were still in active use, Krauss-Maffei based their 
modifications at first on older Leopard 1s – primarily the Leopard 1A1A1-1A1A4. 
Eventually, some 1339 Leopard 1A5s would be built or upgraded from 
earlier versions; they formed a large part of the Greek and Canadian tank 
forces.  Introduction of the Leopard 
1A5 was in 1987.
     Modifications 
started with the turret.  The turret 
of the Leopard 1A1A1 was scrapped entirely, and a new all-welded turret with a 
large bustle was installed.  This 
bustle held various pieces of equipment as well as ammunition, allowing 
ammunition capacity to be restored.  
Modifications to ammunition stowage itself allowed the Leopard 1A5 to use the 
modern long-rod APFSDS penetrators.  
Krupp-Atlas developed an improved new fire control system, the EMES-18 (based on 
the EMES-15 used in the Leopard 2), to grant the main gun and coaxial greater 
accuracy; this included a new ballistic computer and a laser rangefinder, as 
well as a better stabilization system. 
Thermal imaging was added for the gunner (also accessible by the 
commander, but not a part of his independent sight). 
The engine, transmission, and suspension all received incremental 
upgrades.
     A single member 
of this group was further modified as an experiment, and unofficially called the 
Leopard 1A6.  This version had 
bolt-on armored Lexan panels for the turret and hull, but the primary difference 
was the installation of the Rheinmetall 120mm main gun. 
It proved itself in trials, but had already been rendered superfluous by 
the Leopard 2.  The project was not 
carried any further, but it’s an interesting enough “what-if” that I included it 
below. 
Other Leopard 1 
Modifications
     Some other 
countries that use the Leopard 1 have given them some additional features and 
modifications that make them a bit different from standard Leopard 1s of their 
type.  Most of these modifications 
are simple and inconsequential for game purposes (such as different radios, fire 
control equipment made by different manufacturers, parts made using local 
license production instead of being German in origin, etc). 
However, some have modifications that are notable and quantifiable for 
game purposes.
     The Belgians 
used a combination of Leopard 1s, Leopard 1A1s, Leopard 1A2s, and Leopard 1A5s. 
These have a (BE) added to their designations. 
Some 202 have been sold to undisclosed countries (none of which were 
Leopard 1A5(BE)s).  Aside from minor 
internal differences (mainly in stowage arrangements and radios), the primary 
change is that the Leopard 1A5(BE) and other Belgian versions use MAG 
machineguns instead of MG3s.  In 
addition, the turret sides and hull rear areas have large armored external 
stowage boxes permanently attached to them.
     The Dutch used a 
version which is almost a standard Leopard 1A3, but the coaxial machinegun is a 
MAG instead of an MG3.  The MG3 is 
still used as a commander’s machinegun. These versions were designated the 
Leopard 1V (Verbeterd, or Improved). The fire control system is an EMES-12A3, 
giving the Leopard 1V a bit better accuracy; the sights are also optimized for 
use with British-made ammunition. The Dutch Leopard 1A3s also have the same 
appliqué armor as used on the Leopard 1A1A1, in addition to the armor 
improvements already used in the Leopard 1A3. In addition, the rear of the tank 
has three large external stowage boxes mounted on it. 
The Dutch no longer have them in their inventory, having traded them to 
Greece for items I have yet to find out about. The only other customer for the 
Leopard 1V so far is Chile, but the upgrade package is still offered on the 
export market as of April 2023.
     The Italians 
used the Leopard 1A3; these are designated the Leopard 1A3IT. 
They have lugs for ERA on their turret front and sides, glacis, and hull 
sides.  They also use the Leopard 
1A5, as the Leopard 1A5IT; these not only have lugs for ERA, but also have Lexan 
appliqué armor on their turret sides and front, glacis, and hull sides. 
Italy has retired its entire Leopard 1A3IT fleet, and all but 120 of its 
Leopard 1A5IT fleet, as of 2009.
The Canadian Leopard 1s: 
the C1 and C2
     Canadian Leopard 
1s are sufficiently different from stock Leopard 1A3s that they are on the 
Canadian Tanks page.
The Australian Leopard 
1: The AS1
     The Australian 
Leopard 1, the AS1, is also a bit unusual and required some elaboration. 
The AS1 uses a Leopard 1A2 hull topped with the turret of a Leopard 1A3. 
The AS1, however, has spaced appliqué armor over the front and side arcs 
of both the hull and turret.  The 
power pack is tropicalized, which is sealed from all sorts of mud and grit and 
has extra air filtration and does not suffer from decreases in performance in 
hot weather.  The tracks are 
modified, using double-pin track for extra strength. 
The searchlight is not normally mounted, but carried in one of the 
armored bins at the rear of the turret, and mounted only when needed. An 
additional machinegun is normally fitted at the loader’s hatch. Perhaps the most 
dramatic modification is the use of the Belgian-made SABCA fire control system, 
like that of the Canadian C1 and C2, which at the time was the most advanced 
fire control system in the world.
     Later 
modifications included a Mobile Camouflage System (the Swedish barracuda 
system), which consisted of insulated panels fitted to the turret and hull. 
These provided a double benefit – they not only gave protection against 
thermal imagery (detection with thermal imagers is one level harder), it 
provides sort of an umbrella effect that lowers the temperature inside the tank. 
An additional “umbrella” system could be erected over the tank when in a 
static position.  In addition, a 
true air conditioning system was fitted in 1998. 
At first, this did not work so well; it literally sucked air out of the 
turret and it took up space in one of the armored bins on the turret. 
The problem with the storage space lost was never solved, though the air 
conditioner was later improved to stop air from being sucked out of the turret.
     The Leopard AS1 
is currently being phased out in favor of a version of the M1A1 Abrams. 
Though some small amounts of Leopard AS1s remain in service during the 
phase-out, the AS1s are most likely to end up in a reserve role, or as range 
targets – a sort of ignoble end for tanks that have provided over 30 years of 
service to Australia.
     
     Twilight 2000 
Story: In the Twilight 2000 timeline, there were some 30 Leopard 1A6s made by 
modifying Leopard 1A5s in German service.
| 
		
		Vehicle | 
		
		Price | 
		
		Fuel Type | 
		
		Load | 
		
		Veh Wt | 
		
		Crew | 
		
		Mnt | 
		
		Night Vision | 
		
		Radiological | 
| 
		Leopard 1/1A1 | 
		$756,736 | 
		D, AvG, A | 
		700 kg | 
		40 tons | 
		4 | 
		20 | 
		Passive IR (G, 
		C), WL Searchlight | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 1A1A1 | 
		$647,064 | 
		D, AvG, A | 
		700 kg | 
		42.4 tons | 
		4 | 
		20 | 
		Passive IR (G, 
		C), WL Searchlight | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 1A1A2-A4 | 
		$669,064 | 
		D, AvG, A | 
		700 kg | 
		42.4 tons | 
		4 | 
		20 | 
		Passive IR (G, 
		C), Image Intensification (G, C), WL/IR Searchlight | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 1A2/A2A2 | 
		$852,152 | 
		D, AvG, A | 
		700 kg | 
		42.5 tons | 
		4 | 
		22 | 
		Passive IR (G, 
		C), WL/IR Searchlight | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 1A2A1/A3 | 
		$692,152 | 
		D, AvG, A | 
		700 kg | 
		42.5 tons | 
		4 | 
		22 | 
		Passive IR (G, 
		C), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 1A3 | 
		$663,384 | 
		D, AvG, A | 
		700 kg | 
		42.7 tons | 
		4 | 
		19 | 
		Passive IR (G, 
		C), WL/IR Searchlight | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 1A3A2/A3 | 
		$707,384 | 
		D, AvG, A | 
		700 kg | 
		42.7 tons | 
		4 | 
		19 | 
		Passive IR (G, 
		C), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 1A4 | 
		$1,120,830 | 
		D, AvG, A | 
		700 kg | 
		42.7 tons | 
		4 | 
		19 | 
		Passive IR (G, 
		C), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 1A5 | 
		$779,454 | 
		D, AvG, A | 
		700 kg | 
		42.8 tons | 
		4 | 
		19 | 
		Thermal Imaging 
		(G), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 1A6 | 
		$756,644 | 
		D, AvG, A | 
		700 kg | 
		44.5 tons | 
		4 | 
		21 | 
		Thermal Imaging 
		(G), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 1A5IT | 
		$784,694 | 
		D, AvG, A | 
		700 kg | 
		43.1 tons | 
		4 | 
		22 | 
		Thermal Imaging 
		(G), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 1V | 
		$738,832 | 
		D, AvG, A | 
		700 kg | 
		43 tons | 
		4 | 
		19 | 
		Passive IR (G, 
		C), WL/IR Searchlight | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard AS1 
		(Standard) | 
		$866,852 | 
		D, AvG, A | 
		700 kg | 
		42.4 tons | 
		4 | 
		22 | 
		Passive IR (G, 
		C), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard AS1 
		(Late) | 
		$888,524 | 
		D, AvG, A | 
		700 kg | 
		42.5 tons | 
		4 | 
		22 | 
		Passive IR (G, 
		C), Image Intensification (D, G, C), WL/IR Searchlight | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		
		Vehicle | 
		Tr 
		Mov | 
		
		Com Mov | 
		
		Fuel Cap | 
		
		Fuel Cons | 
		
		Config | 
		
		Susp | 
		
		Armor | 
| 
		Leopard 1 | 
		141/101 | 
		36/28 | 
		955 | 
		308 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF30 
		TS14  HR10 
		HF38  HS10 
		HR6 | 
| 
		Leopard 1A1 | 
		144/101 | 
		36/28 | 
		955 | 
		308 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF30 
		TS14  TR10 
		HF38  HS11Sp 
		HR6 | 
| 
		Leopard 1A1A1-A4 | 
		138/97 | 
		35/27 | 
		985 | 
		308 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF41 
		TS17  TR13 
		HF44  HS12Sp 
		HR8 | 
| 
		Leopard 
		1A2/A2A1-A4 | 
		138/96 | 
		35/27 | 
		985 | 
		308 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF43 
		TS18  TR13 
		HF45 HS12Sp  HR8 | 
| 
		Leopard 1A3/1A4 | 
		137/96 | 
		35/27 | 
		985 | 
		308 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF44Sp 
		TS19Sp  TR13 
		HF49Sp HS13Sp  HR8 | 
| 
		Leopard 1A5 | 
		132/93 | 
		34/26 | 
		985 | 
		308 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF44Sp 
		TS19Sp  TR13 
		HF49Sp HS13Sp  HR8 | 
| 
		Leopard 1A6 | 
		128/90 | 
		33/25 | 
		985 | 
		308 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF49Sp 
		TS22Sp  TR13 
		HF54Sp HS16Sp  HR8 | 
| 
		Leopard 1A5IT | 
		132/92 | 
		34/26 | 
		985 | 
		308 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF49Sp 
		TS22Sp  TR13 
		HF54Sp HS16Sp  HR8 | 
| 
		Leopard 1V | 
		133/93 | 
		34/26 | 
		985 | 
		308 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF44Sp 
		TS25Sp  TR16 
		HF55Sp  HS14Sp 
		HR8 | 
| 
		Leopard AS1 | 
		133/95 | 
		34/26 | 
		985 | 
		308 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF46Sp 
		TS20Sp  TR13 
		HF47Sp  HS14Sp 
		HR8 | 
| 
		
		Vehicle | 
		
		Fire Control | 
		
		Stabilization | 
		
		Armament | 
		
		Ammunition | 
| 
		Leopard 1 | 
		+1 | 
		Basic | 
		105mm L7A3, MG3, 
		MG3 (C) | 
		60x105mm, 
		5500x7.62mm | 
| 
		Leopard 
		1A1/A1A1-A1A4 | 
		+1 | 
		Fair | 
		105mm L7A3, MG3, 
		MG3 (C) | 
		60x105mm, 
		5500x7.62mm | 
| 
		Leopard 
		1A2/A2A1-A4/1A3/1A3 | 
		+2 | 
		Fair | 
		105mm L7A3, MG3, 
		MG3 (C) | 
		60x105mm, 
		5500x7.62mm | 
| 
		Leopard 1A4 | 
		+3 | 
		Good | 
		105mm L7A3, MG3, 
		MG3 (C) | 
		55x105mm, 
		5500x7.62mm | 
| 
		Leopard 1A5 | 
		+4 | 
		Good | 
		105mm L7A3, MG3, 
		MG3 (C) | 
		60x105mm, 
		5500x7.62mm | 
| 
		Leopard 1A6 | 
		+4 | 
		Good | 
		120mm Gun, MG3, 
		MG3 (C) | 
		40x120mm, 
		5500x7.62mm | 
| 
		Leopard 1V | 
		+3 | 
		Fair | 
		105mm L7A3, MAG, 
		MG3 (C) | 
		60x105mm, 
		5500x7.62mm | 
| 
		Leopard AS1 | 
		+4 | 
		Good | 
		105mm L7A3, MG3, 
		MG3 (C), MG3 (L) | 
		59x105mm, 
		5500x7.62mm | 
     Notes: Designed 
to replace the Leopard 1 and keep up with the Jonses, development of the of a 
new main battle tank began in the early 1970s, with first fielding with the 
German Army beginning in 1978.  
After the failure of the German-American MBT-70 program in the late 1960s, 
Germany began development of a new tank to be called the Leopard 2.  
Though it shares a name with the Leopard 1, it shares virtually nothing 
with that vehicle, being an almost entirely new design. 
The first Leopard 2’s were delivered to the German Army in 1978, and by 
1992 they had replaced most of the Leopard 1’s in the German inventory. 
Most of the Leopard 2-2A4 versions are similar to each other and have 
minor differences from each other, with the 2A5 being a major change in design. 
The Leopard 2 is also used by Austria, the Netherlands, Spain, and 
Switzerland.  
     The layout of 
the Leopard 2 is conventional, with the driver on the front left, commander’s 
cupola on the turret right, and loader’s hatch on the turret right, with the 
gunner below and to the right of the commander. 
The driver has three vision blocks to the front, with the center block 
able to be replaced with a night vision periscope. 
The driver also has a camera in the rear of tank to aid in backing up. 
Part of the main gun’s ammunition supply is to the right of the driver. 
The commander does not have a rotating cupola; instead, he has a 
360-degree ring of vision blocks and a pintle-mounted machinegun. 
His hatch can be open, closed, or locked open to a point where he can 
take a peek outside but still has most of the turret’s armor protection. 
He has a stabilized day/night periscope in front of his hatch, behind the 
vision blocks.  The gunner uses the 
EMES-15 fire control system, consisting of a ballistic computer, an integrated 
rangefinder and thermal imager (which the commander can access), and a 
telescopic sight, along with monitors for the gunnery information. 
(The commander has the same monitors, but his also report on the 
condition of the Leopard 2.)  Once 
spotted and inputted, the computer automatically slews the turret and elevates 
or depresses the main gun onto the target (or puts in a lead if necessary). 
The gunner also has a roof-mounted day/night periscope. 
The NBC system is a collective system.
     The Leopard 2 
was originally to be armed with the same 105mm L7A3 gun as on the Leopard 1, and 
the first 10 examples were in fact armed with this gun. 
However, Rheinmetall had a new 120mm main gun ready; the first 10 Leopard 
2s were retrofitted with this gun, and the rest of production used this gun. 
A coaxial machinegun was also installed; the fire control equipment can 
be used with the main gun or increase coaxial machinegun accuracy. 
27 main gun rounds are to the right of the driver.15 are on the left side 
of the turret bustle, protected from the crew by an armored door and blow-out 
panels similar to those of the M1 Abrams. 
On each side of the turret are clusters of eight 76mm smoke grenade 
launchers.
     The Leopard 2 
has an integrated power pack using an MTU MB-873 turbocharged diesel engine 
developing 1500 horsepower.  This is 
coupled to a fully automatic Renk HSWL354 transmission, with the driver having a 
control yoke and conventional gas and brake pedals. 
The suspension uses seven steel rubber-tired roadwheels on either side, 
with the torsion bar system designed for difficult terrain. 
The Leopard 2 also has a 5kW APU, designed for a decreased IR signature 
and easy access for maintenance.
     Armor is 
protection is considerable and uses Chobham on the turret front and glacis, 
along with ceramic sandwich armor for the turret sides and hull sides. 
There are track skirts of the same shape (but stronger) on either side of 
the hull.  These track skirts are 
actually a rubber sandwich material.
The Leopard 2A1-A4
     The Leopard 2A1 
to 2A4 were relatively incremental upgrades to the Leopard 2, each adding a 
little more capability to the Leopard 2, but not changing the general design. 
The Leopard 2A1 gave the gunner an improved thermal imager. 
Ammunition racks were installed that were identical to the M1 Abrams’ 
racks; this allowed the latest lonGrod APDSFS-type penetrators to be carried in 
those racks.  The fuel filters were 
redesigned to allow for faster refueling. 
Most Leopard 2s were later modified to the Leopard 2A1 standard at the 
same time (1982-84).  For game 
purposes, the Leopard 2A1 is otherwise identical to the Leopard 2.
     The Leopard 2A2 
further improved the gunner’s thermal imager to 2nd generation 
standards.  The Leopard 2A2 featured 
a filler cap for each fuel tank, allowing for even faster refueling. 
The commander’s and gunner’s periscope were retrofitted with deflectors 
to keep road dirt from splashing up onto the periscope and obscuring vision. 
The NBC system exhaust also received a similar deflector plate. 
The Leopard 2A2 carried a 5-meter towing cable, relieving field shortages 
that were all too common.  The 
little-used crosswind sensor was removed from the turret and the opening plated 
over.  For game purposes, the 
Leopard 2A1 is otherwise identical to the Leopard 2 and 2A1.
     The Leopard 
2A3’s primary upgrade was the change to SEM80/90 digital radios and the welding 
shut of the ammunition reloading hatch in the turret, which was perceived as a 
weak point in the armor and plated over. 
For game purposes, it is otherwise equivalent to the earlier Leopard 2s.
     The Leopard 2A4 
became the most numerous of the Leopard 2 series. 
For the most part, it is identical to the Leopard 2A3, but it also 
featured upgrades to the automatic fire detection and suppression system and a 
new digital fire control module able to compute fire with newer projectile 
types.  However, the most 
substantial change was the replacement of part of the turret armor with a 
titanium/tungsten/steel sandwich.  
Other than the added armor, the Leopard 2A4 is identical to the Leopard 2A3 for 
game purposes.
The Leopard 2A5
     With the Leopard 
2A5 came the wedge-shaped turret armor that is now commonly associated with the 
Leopard 2.  (Before the Leopard 2A5, 
the Leopard 2s turret armor was virtually flat-faced.) 
The added armor takes the form of a sandwich of steel, ceramic, tungsten, 
and titanium, and is designed to eliminate shot traps and deflect most shots off 
of the turret.  The gun mantlet was 
also modified in shape to go with the new frontal armor. 
Though the Leopard 2A5 does not have the new L/55 gun, it can be 
retrofitted with it (though to date, it has not been done). 
Improvements were also made to the rest of the Leopard 2A5’s armor, 
particularly the glacis, and an improved anti-spalling liner was added to the 
interior of the crew compartment and the turret bustle. 
The side skirts were replaced with ones that are stronger, yet lighter 
(important, as with the Leopard 2A5 came a huge increase in weight). 
The new armor is also modular, allowing for quick armor repairs in the 
field of improvements to the armor suite in the future.
     The gunner’s 
sight was moved to the roof to avoid having to make large modifications to the 
new armor of the turret front and having to put a large extension on the sight 
equipment (which would have compromised accuracy). 
The commander also received his own sight system, including his own laser 
rangefinder, in the form of a CITS.  
Hydraulically-assisted hatches for the crew members were added, as the hatches 
themselves were made much heavier and better protected. 
Other hydraulic or partially hydraulic controls like the turret rotation 
and gun elevation were made alLelectric, making them more reliable and saving 
some weight.  The rear camera for 
the driver has a wider angle of view and night vision capability. 
GPS is added.
The Leopard 2A6
     The primary 
change in the Leopard 2A6 from the 2A5 is that the L/55 gun is standard, 
yielding more range and accuracy.  
This also meant that the software in the fire control computer had to be 
updated. The Leopard 2A6 also uses a 20 kW APU which provides much more power, 
and has an air conditioner.  
Ammunition stowage is also rearranged to reflect newer ammunition types 
available.  The land navigation 
system is a combination of inertial navigation, GPS, a mapping system, and a 
computer to tie all the information together. 
The bulkhead between the engine and crew compartment has been reinforced, 
and the engine compartment has its own fire detection and suppression system. 
The standard engine is still the 1500-horsepower MTU MB-873 engine, but a 
version of the EuroPowerPack with 1650 horsepower has been tested in the Leopard 
2A6 and found satisfactory.  (No 
such vehicles have been placed in production, however.) 
     The Leopard 2A6M 
is a standard Leopard 2A6 that has additional floor protection and additional 
blast protection for the main gun ammunition, recognizing the increase in the 
use of IEDs and mines among Taliban and Al Qaida forces. 
     The Leopard 
2A6EX is an export version of the 2A6, which also has many of the KWK II 
upgrades that are applied to the 2A7., the 2A6EXs have many improvements over 
the 2A6 (to make them sweeter to possible export buyers). 
Greek 2A6s therefor have added composite armor on the turret front and 
glacis, as well as added belly armor. The upper third of the glacis armor has 
even more increased armor then the rest of the glacis. Additional armor has been 
added to the turret roof, and the hatches are reinforced to the point that a 
hydraulic assist had to be added to them. Thicker antispalling liners have been 
added to the interior.  A 10kW has 
been installed on the right side of the engine bay, while an air conditioning 
unit has been installed in a modified section of the turret rear
Canadian Leopard 2s
     Canadian Leopard 
2s are sufficiently different from stock 2A4s and 2A6s that they are found in 
their own entry on the Canadian Tanks page.
Chilean Leopard 2s
     The Chileans 
bought the Leopard 2A4 (designated Leopard 2A4CHL), but they requested several 
upgrades.  They have the updated 
fire control equipment and electronics of the Leopard 2A6, the Leopard 2A6’s 
L/55 gun, a suspension better suited for Chile’s mountainous terrain, an 
CROWS-like installation for the commander’s station, and an HK GMG for the 
loader’s hatch on a pintle.  They 
are equipped with air conditioning and high-efficiency heaters. The Leopard 
2A4CHL also has appliqué armor on the turret roof and sides, and an interface 
system for Chile’s command and control network.(equivalent to a BMS).
Dutch Leopard 2s
     A noted above, 
Dutch Leopard 2s (regardless of version) use MAG machineguns instead of MG3s. 
They were, however, totally replaced by Leopard 2A6s, with many of the 2A4s 
converted to engineer vehicles.  
(Leopard 2A6s are designated Leopard 2A6NLs) 
These tanks have air conditioning, but are otherwise stock. 
The Dutch actually sold most of their 2A6NLs to Portugal, Canada (and 
modified as above), and Finland.  In 
2011, the Dutch elected to retire or sell all of their 2A6NLs in favor of the 
then-new Leopard 2A7.
Greek Leopard 2s
     The Greeks 
bought some surplus Leopard 2A4s from the Netherlands, and these retain their 
MAG machineguns, but use Greek commo equipment. 
In addition, the Greeks have a license to build Leopard 2A6EXsin their 
country; these also have MAG machineguns, and otherwise have some 
country-specific equipment like radios, fire control computer software, and GPS 
equipment.  These are designated 
Leopard 2A6Hel.
Spanish Leopard 2s
     The base Leopard 
variant for the Spanish Leopard 2A6Es is the 2A6EX export variant; however, the 
Spanish have elected to up-armor even more the glacis (which has full armor 
protection of the EXs top third armor); the hull sides are equipped with MEXAS 
composite armor, as are the turret front and sides. The hull rear and turret 
rear have additional spaced armor.  
This makes the 2A6E one of the most heavily-armored tanks in the world, though 
speed and agility suffer due to the increased weight. They have lugs for ERA, 
and attachment points for cage armor, though these are little used and will not 
be in the stats below. The Spanish build the 2A6E under license.
Swiss Leopard 2s
     Swiss Leopard 
2A4s are license-manufactured in Switzerland and designated the Pz-87 Leopard in 
Swiss service.  Their machineguns 
are MG83s instead of MG3s (though both are derived from the World War 2 
MG42).They also use Swiss-made radios and intercoms. 
Swiss Pz-87s have an NBC overpressure system, with the collective system 
as a backup.  
     The Swiss have 
further improved their Pz-87s recently, designating them the Pz-87WE. 
Armor improvements include the Leopard 2A6M’s belly armor, appliqué armor 
on the glacis, made of Swiss-developed titanium/ceramic sandwich armor. 
The smoke grenade clusters have been replaced with ones of Swiss-design 
and manufacture.  Some other 
features have been borrowed from the Leopard 2A5, such as the new back-up camera 
for the driver and the alLelectric turret drive and gun stabilization. 
The fire control system is made by Zeiss Optronics, but is equivalent to 
that of the Leopard 2A5 for game purposes. 
The commander has a new cupola with a mount which uses an M2HB (MG64) and 
having a CITS; the commander can aim and fire the M2HB from inside armor.
Swedish Leopard 2s
     The Swedish 
Leopard 2A5s, designated Leopard 2(S)s, are heavily modified are neither really 
Leopard 2A5s or Leopard 2A6s, but somewhere in between with some extra features. 
The Leopard 2(S) will be found under Swedish Tanks.
Still Studied, but 
Probably Won’t be Seen in This Film…
     In the early 
1990s, Rheinmetall began developing a 140mm smoothbore gun for use as main gun 
armament in tanks.  At the time, it 
was believed that the next Soviet/Russian tank would have a main gun of 135 or 
152mm.  The idea was to upgrade 
Leopard 2A4 tanks to mount the 140mm main gun in the mid-1990s. 
The main gun would be fed by an autoloader to preserve room for the 
gunner in the turret.  Sights and 
fire control equipment would also be modified to take into account the new gun’s 
ballistics.  This modification was 
never carried beyond computer studies and one experimental fitting, but work 
reportedly continues as of 2019.
     Twilight 2000 
Story: Most of Western Europe went to war with versions of the Leopard 2 in the 
Twilight 2000 timeline, and they proved to be very effective, with Pact tankers 
rightly fearing them.  Most Leopards 
2s were Leopard 2-2A4s; the Leopard 2A5 was a limited production vehicle, 
largely confined to German service.  
As the German Army felt the automated gun system on the Leopard 3 was not 
as effective as a crewed turret, they saw only limited production, with 
production of the Leopard 2A5 being ramped up a bit more. (The Leopard 3 can be 
found in Best Tanks that Never Were.) 
The Leopard 2A6 and its subtypes do not exist in the Twilight 2000 
timeline; the Leopard 2A5 does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline outside 
of German service.   The 
Leopard 2-140 made a small appearance in the Twilight War, with 3 being lost in 
Poland and 2 in fighting with Italian forces. 
The Leopard 2-140 suffered greatly from small numbers and ammunition 
shortages.
     Merc 2000 Story: 
The Leopard 2A6 and 2-140 were never developed due to budgetary concerns.
| 
		
		Vehicle | 
		
		Price | 
		
		Fuel Type | 
		
		Load | 
		
		Veh Wt | 
		
		Crew | 
		
		Mnt | 
		
		Night Vision | 
		
		Radiological | 
| 
		Leopard 2 
		(Early) | 
		$1,051,124 | 
		D, G, A | 
		700 kg | 
		54.13 tons | 
		4 | 
		26 | 
		Passive IR (D), 
		Thermal Imaging (G), Image Intensification (G, C) | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 2 
		(Standard)/2A1/2A2 | 
		$1,075,574 | 
		D, G, A | 
		700 kg | 
		55.15 tons | 
		4 | 
		26 | 
		Passive IR (D), 
		Thermal Imaging (G), Image Intensification (G, C) | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 2A4 | 
		$1,170,450 | 
		D, G, A | 
		700 kg | 
		57.1 tons | 
		4 | 
		26 | 
		Passive IR (D), 
		2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Image Intensification (G, C) | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 2A5 | 
		$1,431,310 | 
		D, G, A | 
		700 kg | 
		62.5 tons | 
		4 | 
		30 | 
		Passive IR (D), 
		2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Thermal Imaging (C), Image 
		Intensification (G, C) | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 2A6 | 
		$1,593,026 | 
		D, G, A | 
		700 kg | 
		62.61 tons | 
		4 | 
		30 | 
		Passive IR (D), 
		2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Thermal Imaging (C), Image 
		Intensification (G, C) | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 2A6M | 
		$1,645,828 | 
		D, G, A | 
		700 kg | 
		63.11 tons | 
		4 | 
		30 | 
		Passive IR (D), 
		2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Thermal Imaging (C), Image 
		Intensification (G, C) | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Pz-87 | 
		$1,160,546 | 
		D, G, A | 
		700 kg | 
		57.15 tons | 
		4 | 
		26 | 
		Passive IR (D), 
		2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Image Intensification (G, C) | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Pz-87WE | 
		$1,221,162 | 
		D, G, A | 
		700 kg | 
		59.38 tons | 
		4 | 
		26 | 
		Passive IR (D), 
		2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Thermal Imaging (C), Image 
		Intensification (G, C) | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 2A4CHL | 
		$1,406,196 | 
		D, G, A | 
		700 kg | 
		58.38 tons | 
		4 | 
		28 | 
		Passive IR (D), 
		2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Thermal Imaging (C), Image 
		Intensification (G, C) | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 2E | 
		$1,728,120 | 
		D, G, A | 
		700 kg | 
		65.4 tons | 
		4 | 
		30 | 
		Passive IR (D), 
		2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Thermal Imaging (C), Image 
		Intensification (G, C) | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		Leopard 2-140 | 
		$1,561,274 | 
		D, G, A | 
		700 kg | 
		60.7 tons | 
		3 | 
		30 | 
		Passive IR (D), 
		2nd Gen Thermal Imaging (G), Image Intensification (G, C) | 
		Shielded | 
| 
		
		Vehicle | 
		Tr 
		Mov | 
		
		Com Mov | 
		
		Fuel Cap | 
		
		Fuel Cons | 
		
		Config | 
		
		Susp | 
		
		Armor* | 
| 
		Leopard 2 
		(Early) | 
		181/127 | 
		40/25 | 
		1200 | 
		810 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF144Cp 
		TS35Sp  TR24 
		HF160Cp  HS25Sp 
		HR15 | 
| 
		Leopard 2 
		(Standard)/2A1/2A2 | 
		178/125 | 
		39/24 | 
		1200 | 
		824 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF144Cp 
		TS35Sp  TR24 
		HF160Cp  HS25Sp 
		HR15 | 
| 
		Leopard 
		2A4/Pz-87 | 
		173/121 | 
		38/23 | 
		1200 | 
		853 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF152Cp 
		TS39Sp  TR24 
		HF160Cp  HS25Sp 
		HR15 | 
| 
		Leopard 2A5 | 
		156/109 | 
		34/21 | 
		1200 | 
		780 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF160Cp 
		TS36Sp  TR26 
		HF200Cp  HS28Cp 
		HR16 | 
| 
		Leopard 2A6/2A6M | 
		153/107 | 
		33/21 | 
		1200 | 
		781 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF160Cp 
		TS36Sp  TR26 
		HF200Cp  HS28Cp 
		HR16* | 
| 
		Pz-87WE | 
		167/117 | 
		37/22 | 
		1200 | 
		886 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF165Cp 
		TS39Sp  TR27 
		HF205Cp  HS30Cp 
		HR17* | 
| 
		Leopard 2A4CHL | 
		166/116 | 
		37/22 | 
		1200 | 
		891 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF152Cp 
		TS42Sp  TR24 
		HF160Cp  HS25Sp 
		HR15** | 
| 
		Leopard 2E | 
		147/103 | 
		32/19 | 
		1200 | 
		853 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF167Cp 
		TS40Sp  TR28 
		HF210Cp  HS33Cp 
		HR18*** | 
| 
		 | 
		 | 
		 | 
		 | 
		 | 
		 | 
		 | 
		 | 
| 
		Leopard 2-140 | 
		161/113 | 
		35/25 | 
		1200 | 
		720 | 
		Trtd | 
		T6 | 
		TF154Cp 
		TS35Sp  TR24 
		HF193Cp  HS25Sp 
		HR15 | 
| 
		
		Vehicle | 
		
		Fire Control | 
		
		Stabilization | 
		
		Armament | 
		
		Ammunition | 
| 
		Leopard 2 
		(Early) | 
		+4 | 
		Good | 
		105mm L7A3 Main 
		Gun, MG3, MG3 (C) | 
		48x105mm, 
		4250x7.62mm | 
| 
		Leopard 2 
		(Standard)/2A1/2A2/2A3/2A4 | 
		+4 | 
		Good | 
		120mm Gun, MG3, 
		MG3 (C) | 
		42x120mm, 
		4750x7.62mm | 
| 
		Leopard 2A5 | 
		+5 | 
		Good | 
		120mm Gun, MG3, 
		MG3 (C) | 
		42x120mm, 
		4750x7.62mm | 
| 
		Leopard 
		2A6/2A6M/2E | 
		
		+5 | 
		
		Good | 
		
		120mm L/55 Gun, 
		MG3, MG3 (C) | 
		
		42x120mm, 
		4750x7.62mm | 
| 
		Pz-87 | 
		+4 | 
		Good | 
		120mm Gun, MG83, 
		MG83 (C) | 
		42x120mm, 
		4750x7.5mm | 
| 
		Pz-87WE | 
		+5 | 
		Good | 
		120mm Gun, MG83, 
		M2HB (C) | 
		42x120mm, 
		2375x7.5mm, 1400x.50 | 
| 
		Leopard 2A4CHL | 
		+5 | 
		Good | 
		120mm L/55 Gun, 
		MG3, MG3 (C), HK GMG (L) | 
		42x120mm, 
		4750x7.62mm, 200x40mm Grenades | 
| 
		Leopard 2-140 | 
		+4 | 
		Good | 
		140mm Gun, MG3, 
		MG3 (C) | 
		36x140mm, 
		4750x7.62mm | 
*Belly armor for the Leopard 2A6M, 2A6M CAN, Pz-87WE is 11Sp. 
The Leopard 2A6M CAN, because of the bar/slat armor cage, has additional 
protection against HE-type rounds.  
If hit by a HE-type round from any face except the deck or belly, subtract an 
extra 1D6 damage before applying any extra benefits (such as Spaced or Composite 
armor) the armor face may grant.
**Turret roof armor for the Leopard 2A4CHL is 10.
***The Leopard 2E has a turret roof armor level of 10, and a belly armor level 
of 11Sp.