Leopard 1

Leopard 1
Leopard 1A5
General properties
crew	4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
length	9.55 m with Rohr at 12 o'clock 8.17 m with Rohr at 6 o'clock
width	3.37 m
height	2.62 m
Dimensions	42.5 t
Armor and armament
Armor	Armored steel spaced armor for towers (A3, A4, AS1. C1)
Main armament	British 105 mm L7A3 with 28 trains
Secondary armament	2 x 7.62 mm MG3 (coaxial and AA-MG on tower), smoke grenade launcher
agility
drive	10-cylinder multi-fuel engine MTU MB 838 CaM-500 830 PS (610 kW)
suspension	Torsion bar
Top speed	65 km / h
Power / weight	A4: 14.4 kW / t (19.6 PS / t) A5: 14.3 kW / t (19.4 PS / t)
Range	562 km in convoy with torque converter lockup; easy terrain 386 km, difficult terrain 246 km Tank capacity: 985 l

The Leopard 1 is a German main battle tank . It was the first tank developed in Germany after the Second World War . In total, it was used in 13 countries on five different continents. Due to constant increases in combat value , it can still be found in the armies of many countries in the 21st century. From 1964 to 1984, 4,700 Leopard 1 main battle tanks (all variants) were built. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann offers the user states of the Leopard 1 a large number of retrofit kits to adapt product configurations to the specific focus areas with regard to firepower, protection, mobility and logistics.

History of origin

Leopard 1 tank of the 0 series on the Munster training area, 1965

Pre-series of the Leopard 1 in the German Tank Museum

Testing of the diving equipment at Borgstedt / Nord-Ostsee-Kanal in 1965. The Leopard 1 was attached to the crane for protection.

The rearmament of the Federal Republic from the mid-1950s led to the initial equipment of the Bundeswehr with US and British armored vehicles. At that time, the German armaments industry was not in a position to follow up on the advanced tank development that had been taking place since 1945. With the support of foreign manufacturers, Daimler-Benz tried to catch up on the development deficit. A battle tank was to be developed for India together with Porsche KG , ZF Friedrichshafen , Ruhrstahl AG and the Indian Tata Group . However, this project failed.

The findings allowed Porsche to participate in the development of the first battle tank for the German armed forces. On November 23, 1956, a list of requirements was published that corresponded to NATO standards. The main battle tank should have a total weight of 30 tons and be highly mobile and easy to maintain. Armor and firepower were secondary. The decision to put mobility before armor protection is justified by the fact that the armor technology available at the time did not offer reasonable protection against shaped charge projectiles . In addition, the experiences of the Second World War had shown that, on the one hand, good operational mobility was of great importance. On the other hand, the planners wanted more platform models of tanks that differed only in their superstructure. In June 1957, France and Germany signed a military agreement with the aim of developing a common battle tank. In coordination with the French Ministry of Defense (DEFA) , the Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg) published the new requirements on July 25, 1957. These were: 30 tons total weight, multi-fuel engine with a power to weight ratio of 30 HP / t, state-of-the-art technology and a maximum width of 3.15 meters. The focus was particularly on the main armament and its aiming and aiming means. Accuracy by day and night as well as a penetration capacity of 150 millimeter thick armor steel with an impact surface inclined by 30 ° and a distance between 2000 and 2500 meters were required. The armor should protect against 20-millimeter projectiles at a short distance, and an NBC protective ventilation system should enable use in atomically contaminated terrain for 24 hours. A year later, on April 1, 1958, the requirements were amended. Germany intended to increase the maximum width to 3.25 meters, but France requested that it be reduced to 3.10 meters. In September 1958 Italy joined the Development Community.

On May 6, 1959, an agreement was reached on the development and construction of two prototypes I each with working groups A, B and DEFA. The Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement (BWB) handled the project. Three joint offices were set up to deal with this task:

• Working group A: The companies Porsche, Atlas - MaK , Luther-Werke and Jung-Jungenthal .
• Working group B: The companies Ruhrstahl AG, Rheinstahl- Hanomag and Rheinstahl-Henschel
• Working group C: The company C. F. W.  Borgward bore the costs of the development on its own in part. After the collapse of the company, tank development ceased in 1961. In addition, the implementation of the draft was classified as too risky by the Federal Ministry of Defense.

The companies Rheinmetall and Wegmann took over the tower production. A total of four prototypes were manufactured in Germany and one prototype in France. Germany took over the financing of all prototypes. On the basis of the findings, working groups A and B developed prototype II, with group B ceasing to work in October 1961 due to technical difficulties and savings and delivering only two of six main battle tanks. In April 1963, the comparative tests of the working groups were completed. The tank was presented to the public on July 11, 1963 under the designation "Standardpanzer". At the same time, the production of the pilot series (Porsche number 814) with 50 tanks, which had started in June 1961. They were based on Prototype II and were used for testing in the Wehrtechnischen Dienststelle  91 on the Meppen firing range . The highlight was a comparison test of the then nameless German standard tank against the French AMX-30 tank . It took place under Italian leadership in August 1963 at the Mailly-le-Camp military training area in Champagne and demonstrated the high performance of the German model. Despite six tons more weight, it was about ten percent faster and accelerated 18 percent better than its French counterpart.

Due to France's changed defense strategy, no funds could be released for tank production until 1965. However, the Bundeswehr intended to replace its M47 . It was agreed on a national tank production and presented the tank on November 1, 1963, based on the stage manager of the tank troops under the name "Leopard". The "baptism" took place on October 4, 1963, on the instructions of the command staff of the army by the company commander of the 2nd company of the Panzer Training Battalion 93, Captain Schmidt. On September 9, 1965, Federal Defense Minister Kai-Uwe von Hassel took over the first mass-produced battle tank (at that time a single unit price of DM 950,000), which rolled off the assembly line at Krauss-Maffei  AG (today Krauss-Maffei Wegmann ) in Munich , and handed it over to the 4th Company of the Panzer Training Battalion 93. This marked the beginning of the introduction of 1500 battle tanks of this type into the units of the I. and III. Corps of the Bundeswehr . By 1968, the Bundeswehr increased its order to 1,845 vehicles with an option for 111 more. From 1965 to 1978, 2,437 main battle tanks and 1,165 modifications based on the Leopard chassis were delivered to the Bundeswehr. Another 2,691 Leopard tanks bought Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Australia, Canada, Greece and Turkey during the same period.

After series production, Porsche received the order for further development. As a result, an internally conducted study called the Gilded Leopard was developed, which was presented on July 6, 1965 as suggestions for increasing the combat value of the Leopard battle tank . The following was suggested: increasing the rate of fire through an automatic loading system, increasing the hit probability, larger aiming range of the main weapon, stronger coaxial weapon, remote-controlled anti-aircraft machine gun, stronger engine (809 kW) with improved cooling system, improved turret front and an improved chassis including springs and armor protection. The study ended in 1967.

Difficulties in the battle tank 70 project prompted the Federal Ministry of Defense to press ahead with the gold-plated Leopard project with the aim of redeveloping and increasing the combat value of the Leopard 1. Due to the development contract for the Kampfpanzer 70 and the prohibition of a new development, the project ran under the term experimental development with a total volume of 32 million DM, of which 25 million were approved. On November 7, 1968, the BMVg signed the contract with Krauss-Maffei. The tank had a total weight of 40 tons and was already similar to the Leopard 2 . When the Kampfpanzer 70 project failed in 1969, Krauss-Maffei commissioned the Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement to build a study under the name "Eber". This tank combined the technology of the Kampfpanzer 70 with conventional tank construction. The development, financed with 25 million euros, was then presented by Krauss-Maffei and its partners as the experimental development "Keiler". With the decision in 1970 to build the Leopard 2, the combat value increases were discarded and the new development began on the basis of the "Keiler" project.

The total costs for the development, prototype production, troop tests and more amounted to 249,030,222  German marks . The last Leopard 1A5 battle tanks were withdrawn from active service in the Bundeswehr in 2003 when the 74th Panzer Battalion in Cuxhaven / Altenwalde was decommissioned.

technology

General

Leopard 1 during the REFORGER exercise 1983

The Leopard is based on the Porsche type 814 and is a further development of the 0 series. Designed as a turret tank in a conventional arrangement, it has a 4-man crew. The commander is on the right in the turret, under him at his feet sits the gunner, on the other side of the on-board cannon and thus the loader on the left . In addition to the driver, the tub houses an ammunition holder for the main weapon as well as an NBC protection and ventilation system that generates excess pressure by sucking in outside air through a filter . Only the machine room has a fire suppression system against fire. The extinguishing agent is halon . The four extinguishing agent containers are located with the driver. Two of the containers trigger automatically, two more can be triggered manually.

The construction of an underwater drive shaft and the diving hydraulics means that bodies of water can be driven through to a maximum depth of four meters. All hatches except for those of the commander are closed. The hydraulic system closes the ventilation on the engine and opens a combustion air flap on the engine bulkhead inside the tank. When wading, deep-wading and underwater driving, the engine draws in the combustion air through the commander's hatch with the deep-water or underwater shaft. The commander stands in this shaft when driving through and supports the driver when driving through. At the same time, the shaft serves as an emergency exit in the event of an accident. Since water ingress cannot be completely avoided, the Leopard has two bilge pumps .

The tank is fully capable of night combat and to a limited extent all weather. It is possible to install a residual light amplifier for the driver and loader. A corner mirror is removed.

Armor

The hull is made of welded armored steel and is separated into the combat and engine room by a transverse partition. The front armor measures 70 millimeters and is inclined at an angle of 30 °, which corresponds to a penetration length of 140 millimeters. The side armor averages 30/35 millimeters, the hull bottom and rear have 20 and 25 millimeter thick armor plates.

The armor thickness of the cast towers is up to 60 millimeters, which was thickened in the A2 and reinforced by rubberized steel plates in the later combat value enhancement program. The plates, which were bolted to the basic armor at a distance and at the front of the tower with additional shock absorption (rubber elements known as shock mounts), had the task of detonating incoming projectiles early and reducing the energy of the explosion. The A3 and A4 turrets were welded and had spaced armor with the same protection level. There was no subsequent additional armor. At nine tons, Wegmann's cast tower was relatively light compared to the 12 tons of the M48 or the 15 tons of the Chieftain .

Drive and drive

Close-up of a cast turret with the additional turret armor removed. You can see the rubber elements, so-called shock mounts, on which the additional armor was attached. The views of the tower rangefinder are on both sides of the tower and are closed with flaps.

A torsion bar sprung support roller drive was selected as the drive . The seven pairs of rollers are connected to the torsion bars via swing arms, whereby the first three and the last two rollers are each provided with a hydraulic shock absorber . Truncated conical springs limit the swing of the swing arms. In the early years, a rubber-mounted connector chain with solid rubber padding served as the crawler track , which was replaced in the fifth construction lot by a "living" connector chain with replaceable chain pads from Diehl.

The MB 838 CaM 500 engine of the Leopard 1 is a 90 ° ten-cylinder V-engine with two  mechanical superchargers from Daimler-Benz, built by MTU Friedrichshafen . In contrast to the requirement, the diesel engine could not run with multiple fuel immediately, but was implemented later. The total output of 610 kW with a 37.4 liter displacement is higher than that of the engine types 837 Aa and 838 Ca500 used in the prototypes . In order to ensure the oil supply to all lubrication points at extreme inclines, a dry sump pressure circulation lubrication was installed. The shifting processes of the planetary gear with four forward and two reverse gears are carried out electro-hydraulically. The steering of the integrated superimposed steering gear depends on the engine speed and speed. A novelty in engine construction was the combination of engine, cooling system as well as manual and steering gear in one engine block. This design allows quick disconnection of the electrical and fuel circuits by means of quick couplings. Changing the entire Leopard 1 engine takes around 30 minutes, including preparatory work and post-processing. With its successor, the Leopard 2, this time could be reduced to half. The on-board voltage of 24 volts is generated by a three-phase generator with an output of 9 kW and then converted into direct voltage . In order to reduce the infrared signature and thus make it more difficult to locate the heat, the hot exhaust gases are mixed with the cooler exhaust air on both sides before they exit the grating.

For hot regions and high outside temperatures, Krauss-Maffei has developed a so-called Tropical Kit. With this retrofit kit, the cooling and fuel system could be modified. Another upgrade kit improved the off-road mobility through the use of hydraulic end stop dampers and an optimized, reduced-size guide wheel.

Armament

Weapon system

cut pipe

Gunner's Square

The main armament consists of the German license production L7A3 of the widespread British high-performance cannon Royal Ordnance L7 . With a caliber of 105 mm, the cannon is 51 caliber long, equipped with a smoke evacuator and, as was customary at the time, provided with a field / train profile. The swivel range of the tower is 360 °, the elevation range of the cannon from −9 ° to + 20 °. The on- board cannon is housed next to the tower crew in the rotating tower. The alignment and swiveling process of the weapon tracking system is electro-hydraulic.

With the conversion to the A1 in 1971 and the adjustment of the first construction section, the weapon was given a heat protection sleeve to compensate for the temperature effects caused by exposure to sunlight, rain and snow and - more importantly - against delay caused by the heating during the shot. When using the NBC protection system, the main weapon can only fire the ammunition that is already in the barrel. The automatic opening of the shutter is blocked by disengaging the ramp. The lock can be opened manually, which means that ABC safety is no longer given. Secondary armament is a machine gun arranged coaxially with the on-board cannon and an anti-aircraft machine gun that can be rotated through 360 ° on the turret. The armament can vary here, as with the smoke thrower system, depending on the country of use.

In order for maneuvers illustrate the firing of the cannon without sharp shot, or exercises during training, the Leopard has 1 via recordings for the kadag ( K anonen- A bschuss- DA rstellungs- G et up instrument) or DARKAS ( DAR stellung- K anonen- A b S chuss). Mounted on the back of the cannon, it simulates the pop, smoke and lightning that occurs when the main weapon is fired.

Weapon stabilization

Since version A2, the tank has had a gyroscopically regulated weapon stabilization system , which always aims the on-board cannon at the target while driving. The technology of the time - stabilizing the weapon and tracking the optics - primarily served only for better target reconnaissance and observation during movement, in order to minimize the shooting stops that would otherwise be required to open the fire fight. With a trained crew, fire fighting from movement was possible to a limited extent. A high first-shot hit probability as with the Leopard 2, however, was not feasible until its fire control system was used in the 1A5 .

Fire control and aiming equipment

The distance measurement is done optomechanically in front of the Leopard 1A5 . The tower distance measuring device (TEM) with 16x magnification was the heart of the fire control system up to the Leopard 1A4 and enabled the gunner to determine the distance using the mixed or spatial image principle . The gunner had to manually set the angle of the loaded ammunition using a lever. The Leopard 1A4 was equipped with the EMES-12A1 optical spatial image rangefinder. The tower riflescope (TZF) with 8x magnification was available as a second target device. If the TEM failed, it was intended as an emergency target device, the shooting distance was estimated and set for the respective ammunition using a scale in the line image. It also allowed fire fighting on the move, because the weapon-parallel installation in the bezel transferred the weapon stabilization to this optics. The tower round view pan wheel (TRP) was available to the commander as an observation, target and distance measuring device . If necessary, he could completely override the gunner in order to conduct the fire fight himself in an emergency. The stabilized PERI R12 panoramic periscope in the Leopard 1A4, on the other hand, enabled the commander for the first time to search for targets while in motion and assign them to the gunner. There was this variant of the Hunter / Killer ability.

For night combat, the main battle tank was initially equipped with an IR / white light shooting light for target illumination. If the lights were illuminated with infrared light, the commander had to take over the shooting, as his TRP was exchanged for an infrared telescopic sight. The night combat capability of the 1A4 was achieved by switching the PERI R12 to the IR channel. The searchlight was used distributed throughout the battle and could therefore only be used from a standing position. So alternately lighting tanks took over the task of lighting, while a second tank fought the enemy. The settings of the headlight were scattered when searching or bundled for target lighting during combat. In the early years only a few main battle tanks were equipped with shooting lights. Only the vehicles of the platoon leader and the company commander had the AEG-Telefunken XSW-30-U for target lighting. The average combat distance of 2.5 kilometers per day with the shooting light fell to 1.2 kilometers to 1.5 kilometers. With the introduction of the PZB 200 residual light intensifier, this form of combat management became increasingly meaningless.

With the last increase in combat value to the 1A5, the commander and gunner received a joint thermal imaging device , which was housed with the laser rangefinder (LEM) in the main EMES-18 target device . With the WBG-X from Zeiss, the reconnaissance range increased enormously compared to the PZB 200. During the day, targets could be discovered at a distance of up to 3000 meters and identified at 2000 meters, depending on the weather conditions. The modified fire control system of the Leopard 2 made aiming and shooting easier for the gunner. In addition, the loader set the type of ammunition loaded at the EMES using a button.

ammunition

Using a drawbar cannon, the Leopard 1 could fire a number of types of ammunition. The APDS (Armor Piercing, Discarding Sabot) ammunition was available as an armor-piercing bullet , which was replaced from the 1980s by the wing-stabilized variant APDSFS-T (Armor Piercing, Discarding Sabot, Fin-Stabilized-Tracer) . Usual for that time, that was as explosive ammunition Quetschkopfgeschoss (HESH - High Explosive Squash Head) is used, which, however, by the emergence of Bulkhead and composite armor by shaped charge ammunition - was replaced (HEAT High Explosive Anti Tank). Before the introduction of thermal imaging devices , “Illum” cartridges could be fired to illuminate the battlefield. Fog and canister ammunition were also available. For each combat cartridge there was practice ammunition without a sharp warhead, as well as drill ammunition for practicing the movements. Compared to the black combat ammunition, these were marked blue (Ub) or olive (Ex). The ammunition supply of the German battle tanks was 60 cartridges, later 55 cartridges, for the main weapon and 5000 rounds for the secondary armament.

Technical specifications

Leopard 1 family engine

Prototype version of the armored engineer machine (GPM) from EWK after deep wading. The project is considered to be the forerunner of the development of the Dachs engineer tank

Beach Armored Recovery Vehicle of the Dutch Navy

The Leopard 1 driving school tank

designation	Main battle tank Leopard 1
Type:	Main battle tank
Crew:	4th
Engine:	10-cylinder multi-fuel engine MTU MB 838 CaM-500
Power:	830 hp (610 kW) at 2200 min -1
Transmission:	ZF 4 HP 250 planetary gearbox with four forward and two reverse gears
Landing gear:	torsion bar sprung support roller drive
Length over all:	9543 mm
Width over everything:	3370 mm
Height above everything:	2764 mm
Ground clearance:	440 mm
Wading ability :	2250 mm, with preparation 4000 mm
Trench crossing ability:	3000 mm
Climbing ability:	1150 mm
Gradeability :	60%
Bank slope:	30%
Combat weight:	42,400 kg
Maximum speed road:	65 km / h
Fuel quantity:	985 liters, two tanks with 470/490 liters and a withdrawal container with 25 liters
Driving range:	562 km of roads, 386 km of easy terrain, 246 km of difficult terrain
Armament:	Drawbar cannon L7A3, two MG3s
Ammunition:	55 to 60 cartridges for the BK; 5000 cartridges for the two MG3s

Operational experience

Leopard 1C2 being loaded into a C-17 Globemaster III . The additional armor from Mexas on the turret and hull is easy to see . As usual for the 1A5, the tower is made of cast steel.

Denmark was the first to use the Leopard 1 in combat. As part of the United Nations Protection Force in the former Yugoslavia, the battle tanks served as support vehicles for the Danish contingent. In the operation bøllebank there was fighting for the first time.

Canada sent a company of Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) , equipped with Leopard C2 with and without additional armor, two armored recovery vehicles and two workshop vehicles to Afghanistan. The Panzer Group was supposed to protect convoys and support the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) under Canada and other light vehicle organizations. The first tanks reached Kandahar in mid-October 2006. On December 2, 2006, the tanks were put into service in Kandahar, marking the first time Canada has sent tanks into a war zone since the Korean War. For the first time since that time, Canadian tanks fired their cannons at the enemy when they returned fire to a Taliban missile raid the following day .

Also in use are the Canadian variant of the Dachs engineer tank and, since August 2007, the Canadian Leopard 2A6M CAN.

variants

A former Belgian Leopard 1 in service with the Brazilian Army . The exhaust grating with vertical struts is a striking feature of tanks from the first three construction lots. Storage compartments for tools on the sides.

The production of the Leopard was carried out in lots. Around 2,700 companies were involved in the construction. These included Blohm & Voss AG, MTU Friedrichshafen, ZF AG, Rheinmetall GmbH, Wegmann & Co. GmbH, AEG Telefunken, Drägerwerke, Anton Piller KG and Eberspächer KG. In addition to Germany, the Leopard 1 was and is used in Australia , Belgium , Brazil , Chile , Denmark , Greece , Italy , Canada , the Netherlands , Norway and Turkey . On the Leopard-based mountains - and Pionierpanzer Brazil, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Turkey are used in Australia.

The further development of the weapon system and its Leopard to provide vehicle family on a common basis, was the Leoben-Community (1969 by Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway Leo pard- ben utzende States) was founded. Divided into several working groups and controlled by a steering committee, the goals are to simplify supply, jointly develop the weapon system, simplify repairs, adapt the Leopard family to future threats and reduce costs.

Leopard pilot series

The basic form of the pilot series already corresponded to the series status. Compared to series production, the 50 units had an angular loader hatch without a ring, a sloping rear wall of the tower storage basket and a different mount for the anti-aircraft machine gun. Another striking detail of the pre-production series was the shooting light mounted in the center of the gun mantlet and the canvas protection. The tool holders on the sides as well as the shape of the tool box and outboard intercom at the stern also saw changes.

leopard

Leopard 1A2A1. The thickened cast tower can be easily recognized on the oval cover plates of the TEM's viewing heads; it is also the only visible visual feature of the variant. In the foreground the ammunition types APDS, HEAT and the squeeze head bullet HESH / HEP.

The production of the 1st construction lot with 400 vehicles extended from September 1965 to July 1966. The basic equipment consisted of cast towers, conventional fire control system, tower rangefinder (TEM) 2A, tower panoramic periscope (TRP) 2A, IR target device B171 V, tower telescopic sight (TZF) 1A, electrohydraulic weapon straightening system without weapon stabilization, angular outboard intercom, IR night vision devices for driver and commander and a connecting caterpillar D139 E2 with fixed chain pads. The shooting light was installed on the left side of the gun mantlet.

Lot 2 followed seamlessly and ended in 1967 with the production of 600 Leopard tanks. The changes included a round outboard intercom, a handle on the tool box at the stern, support triangles for the climbing aids on the tower, a rain gutter on the underside of the tower stern and a bullet deflector for the tower ring and brackets for the chain covers. The third construction lot followed in July 1967 to August 1968. The equipment did not change, but hot lugs were welded on for loading. 16 leopards from the lot went to Belgium . The total number was 484 tanks. Lot 4 also followed seamlessly and ended in February 1970. The total number of units was 361. The changes included a foldable diving shaft, improved rollers and drive wheel rims. From this construction lot onwards, the exhaust gas gratings were designed as extruded profiles without vertical struts.

Leopard A1

In the years 1975 to 1977 all tanks of lot 1 to 4 were subjected to an increase in combat value and adapted to the fifth construction lot. All vehicles were equipped with additional turret armor attached to rubber elements and the gun mantlet was additionally armored by a steel plate. The tanks converted in this way bore the designation Leopard A1A1. With the adaptation to the Leopard 1A4, the installation of the radio device family SEM 80/90 and the passive night target and observation device PZB 200, these tanks are called Leopard 1 A1A4. Vehicles without PZB 200, but with SEM, had the identification A1A3.

Vehicles with PZB 200 but without SEM had the identification A1A2.

Side view of the Leopard 1 A1 battle tank

Leopard A2

The production of the fifth construction lot began in April 1972 and ended in May 1973. The number of tanks increased to 232 tanks with the construction lot was used to replace the M48 A2 in the II Corps of the Bundeswehr. The changes included a thickening of the turret armor, a more powerful combustion air filter system, improved ABC filters, image intensifier (BiV) night vision devices for the driver and commander, weapon stabilization for the weapon straightening system, heat protection cover for the cannon, connector caterpillar D 640A with interchangeable chain pads and side chain covers. Tow ropes with a length of five meters were also introduced to replace the three-meter ropes. A protective grille was retrofitted in the tower to protect the crew from the movements of the internal cannon parts when the weapon stabilization is switched on.

Leopard A3

The angular shape of the welded tower is a distinctive feature of the A3 and A4 variants. The A3 was visually recognizable on the commandant's tower panorama periscope. The A4 as in the photo, on the other hand, received a PERI R12 (in front of the diving shaft). In the foreground on the left the Illum light cartridge and on the right the APDSFS-T ammunition.

The last 110 vehicles of lot 5 were manufactured from May 1973 to November 1973. The changes included a welded elongated tower in bulkhead construction. The internal volume increased by 1.5 cubic meters. The loader received a rotatable and tiltable corner mirror . A close defense system was not installed due to the high level of self-endangerment. With the end of the Cold War, the A3 was taken out of stock and sold.

Leopard A4

Converted Leopard 1A1 on stand A4. The new name was 1A1A4

The delivery of the construction lot 6 began in August 1974 and ended in March 1976 with a quantity of 250 vehicles. The change consisted of an integrated fire control system for the commander and gunner. This included an improved optical range finder (EMES 12A1), a PERI R12 for the commander with an IR night vision channel and an improved fire control computer. The delivery to the Bundeswehr was completed with the A4. All models have been retrofitted with a PZB 200 (passive aiming and observation device). In 1989, 235 tanks of the lot were removed from the inventory and upgraded to the A3. 150 tanks went to Turkey, 75 to Greece and 10 to Denmark. Other specimens served as hard targets on the Bundeswehr's firing ranges or were demilitarized and given to museums.

Leopard 1A5

With the increase in combat value from 1339 Leopard from October 1986 to September 1992 from lots 1 to 4, 1225 of which were from the Bundeswehr, the designation changed to 1A5. The number 1 is added to all leopards below. The retrofitting included an improvement in the first-shot hit probability while in motion as well as a shortening of the reaction time through a new fire control system EMES 18 (adapted FLA of the Leopard 2 with stabilized main rifle scope (HZF) and laser rangefinder, but without weapon tracking system (WNA)), an improvement of NBC protection , a corner mirror washing system for the driver, reinforced swing arm bearings and a field adjustment system. Another change was the preparation to accommodate the 120 mm on-board cannon of the Leopard 2. If the A5 were equipped with the new SEM 80/90 radio family, the designation was extended to Leopard 1A5A1. With Army Structure 5 from 1994, 737 Leopard 1A5s remained in the Bundeswehr until they were decommissioned in 2003. All tanks are demilitarized, scrapped or sold under the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe . The scrapping is going on in Rockensussra , Thuringia , in the demilitarization center for war equipment.

Leopard 1A6

The 1A6 is a project study by the Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement for an anti-tank combat vehicle from 1986. As part of the study Panzerkampfwagen 90, two test vehicles with different armament levels were built, the VT-2 and VT-5. Compared to the VT-5, the VT-2 received additional turret armor on the roof, a reduction in the IR signature of the landing gear and armor plating on the hull front. Both test vehicles had a fire suppression system (BUA) for the combat area and the 120 mm weapon system. The VT-5, on the other hand, received a commander PERI. The weight increase was 4.6 tons and 3.5 tons, respectively.

The project was discontinued in 1987 after a long-term test in the test center 41, today's Defense Technical Service 41, with evidence of its feasibility.

The Leopard 1 in non-German armed forces

Australia

Leopard AS1 with mine plow

According to the troop comparison in 1972, a total of 90 Leopards were delivered to Australia between June 1976 and November 1978 . They corresponded to the Leopard 1A3 at the level of the 5th construction lot. In addition, the vehicles have a Tropical Kit (improved cooling of the engines), hydraulic end stops, side tool boxes, SABCA fire control system and a snow blade. In the 1990s, the tanks were modernized and equipped with air conditioning, a mine clearance system and the Barracuda Mobile Camouflage System (MCS) from the Swedish company of the same name, Barracuda Company . The type designation was Leopard 1AS1.

Belgium

Originally 334 Leopard 1s from lots 3 and 4 were delivered to Belgium between May 1968 and March 1971 . The tanks also had side tool boxes , a Tank Fire Control System (TFCS fire control system) and a thermal imaging device. Ten tanks are used to obtain spare parts. Of the 324 Leopard 1s, 132 tanks were converted to the Leopard 1A5 (BE) and used. The order had a total volume of 360 million DM. In addition to the battle tank, the Belgian army also used the cheetah and a bridge layer based on the Leopard 1. The bridge- layer equipped with the Iguana rapid -transit armored bridge has the same appearance as the Biber bridge-laying tank , but differs in that the bridge has a higher load-bearing capacity (MLC 70), a reinforced tail boom and a modified support shield. The bridge and bridge layers were also manufactured by KMW and MAN Mobile Bridges GmbH (a subsidiary of Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann since 2005). In December 2007 Belgium sold 43 Leopard 1A5s to Lebanon . However, the delivery could not take place so far because no approval was given from Germany. Belgium withdrew its last 30 Leopard tanks in 2014 and has no more battle tanks since then.

Brazil

Brazilian Leopard 1 during a military parade

From 1997 to 1999, Brazil bought a total of 128 Leopard 1s from the Belgian Armed Forces , which were delivered in three lots. Before delivery, these vehicles were completely overhauled by the Belgian company SABIEX. In 2006, the German and Brazilian governments signed a purchase agreement for 250 Leopard 1A5s from depot stocks. The tanks have been repaired and modernized by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann since 2009 . In this delivery, in addition to the battle tanks, 30 copies are provided as spare parts donors. Furthermore, the delivery of seven armored recovery vehicles, four armored rapid bridges, four engineer tanks and five driving school tanks is planned so that a total of 200 battle tanks and 50 support vehicles will be delivered by 2012.

Chile

In 1998 Chile bought a total of 202 Leopard 1s from the Dutch armed forces , which were supposed to replace the tanks of the Chilean army , some of which were from World War II . Before delivery, all tanks were equipped with the PZB 200. In 2009, 30 tanks were resold to Ecuador . In addition to the main battle tank, Chile uses the Dachs pioneer tank, the Biber rapid tank bridge and a carrier on a Leopard 1 chassis.

Ecuador

Ecuador has acquired 30 units of Leopard 1Vs from Chile, valued at $ 55 million.

Netherlands

Dutch leopard 1

After a comparison test between the Chieftain and the Leopard from December 1967 to May 1968, the Koninklijke Landmacht decided at the end of 1968 to purchase 400 Leopard 1 battle tanks with a total value of 550 million DM. With the start of delivery in October 1969, this increased Number on a total of 468 vehicles. The vehicles with a modified type D139 E2 crawler and side tool boxes were at the level of the 4th construction lot. The retrofits included additional armor for the turret, a fire control system from the manufacturer Honeywell AFSL-2 (NL), laser rangefinder, an optical spatial rangefinder, an electronic fire control computer, smoke launch system (NL), a machine gun mount for a Dutch machine gun and a weapon stabilization system from Honeywell. 170 Leopard 1 V went to Greece and 202 to Chile after negotiations. Like Belgium, the Netherlands relied on the Gepard anti-aircraft gun , commonly known as the Cheetah . All Leopard 1s have been replaced by Leopard 2.

Norway

Norwegian leopard on a maneuver. The KADAG is mounted on the cannon and partially loaded.

In 1968 Norway placed an order for 78 Leopard 1 main battle tanks. The vehicles corresponded to section 4, but were slightly modified. The conversion included a different type D 640 A chain, wider rollers, a hatch protection on the tower and a heat protection cover for the pipe. In the period 1991 to 1994 there was a delivery of another 92 Leopard 1A5s from the Bundeswehr. Of the total of 170 Leopard 1 (NO), 111 were converted to stand A5. They have since been replaced by the Leopard 2A4.

Italy

Converted Leopard of the Italian Army to stand A5. Clearly visible and a striking change for this version is the viewing group of the EMES 18 above the gun mantlet. The additional armor on the tower identifies it as a cast steel version of the first construction section.

Italy received a total of 920 Leopard 1s based on lots 4 and 5. 200 vehicles were built by Krauss-Maffei and delivered in 1971 (92 battle tanks) and 1972 (108 battle tanks). From 1974 OTO-Melara produced two construction lots, the first from 1974 for over 400 vehicles, the second between 1981 and 1983. All Italian Leopard tanks were delivered according to the A2 standard and were not upgraded until 1995. In 1995 the Italian army bought 127 A5 towers from the Bundeswehr; these were used to convert 120 tanks from version A2 to version A5. The last A2 Leopard was decommissioned in 2003. The last A5 followed at the end of 2008. Italy also has 64 Biber tanks (manufactured by OTO-Melara) as well as 137 armored recovery vehicles (69 by Krauss-Maffei and 68 by OTO-Melara) and 40 pioneer tanks (12 by Krauss-Maffei and 28 by OTO-Melara).

Denmark

The 120 Leopard 1A3 (DK) from Denmark corresponded to the status of the fifth construction lot. They were the only vehicles with an EMES 18 / TIS fire control system installed as standard. The tanks were delivered from February 1976 to August 1978. Between 1992 and 1994 a second lot with a number of 110 vehicles from the Bundeswehr's stocks was adjusted. All Leopard 1s have been converted to stand A5 and have now been replaced by 57 Leopard 2A5DK.

Canada

Leopard 1C1

Canada is another NATO partner using the Leopard 1. The 114 vehicles corresponded to the A3 level of the fifth construction lot. In addition, the vehicle received a cable drum for telecommunication cables, a holder for 20 snow grabs on the front plate, a laser range finder, the SABCA electronic fire control computer, a wind sensor on the tower roof, PZB 200, an integrated white light headlight instead of the left E-knife view, a corner mirror washing system for the driver, a reinforced smoke-throwing system for firing explosive devices, a mounting device for a clearing blade and Belgian machine guns. Delivery began in July 1978 and ended in June 1979. This order was carried out by Krauss-Maffei and MAK. In 2000, Canada increased its combat value. The changes included the purchase of 123 A5 turrets to be built into the existing tanks, nine of them for training purposes. In addition, the increased firepower by an improved gun, incorporation of the fire control system 18 and a EMES Mexas -Zusatzpanzerung. A total of 66 Leopard 1C2s were still in service. Their use was planned until 2015.

Turkey

As part of military aid, Turkey received a total of 77 Leopard 1 A3s from the fifth construction lot between September 1982 and December 1983. The changes included an AFS fire control system with laser rangefinder, a PZB 200 and the Tropical Kit. With the changes in the Bundeswehr from 1990 to 1992, back-fitting A4s were sold to Turkey. A total of 397 Leopard 1s were delivered to Turkey, 320 of them from the Bundeswehr.

Greece

Leopard 1A5 from Greek stocks

From February 1983 to April 1984 Greece received the last 106 tanks from the assembly line under the code Leopard 1GR1. They corresponded to the Turkish configuration. The Netherlands delivered another 170 of their Leopard 1Vs, Germany 3 A3, 342 A5 (1998, 2000 and 2005) and 2 A5 (NL) from the Bundeswehr's stocks. The total number of units was more than 618. With the introduction of the Leopard 2, all Leopard 1A5 and 25 Leopard 1 of the type GR1 remained in service. All other copies were sold.

Singapore

The number of battle tanks delivered to Singapore is subject to official secrecy in accordance with an international contractual agreement. The relevant information is classified as confidential and has therefore been sent to the secret protection agency of the German Bundestag.

Tank based on the Leopard 1 hull

General Dietrich Willikens developed the Leopard chassis into a multi-purpose vehicle. Significantly involved in the development, he convinced the management that training, supply and the lower production costs were more economical. Based on the Leopard 1, a driving school tank , the Biber bridge-laying tank , the Gepard anti-aircraft gun tank , the Bergepanzer 2 and the Dachs pioneer tank were developed. The Leopard 1 driving school tank has a driver's cab that can be exchanged for a tower at any time. In order to simulate the rotating tower, an 8.5 ton ballast ring and a dummy cannon were integrated into the cabin. A total of 60 cabins were procured for the Bundeswehr. Alvis Moelv converted four Leopard 1s into Beach Armored Recovery Vehicles (BARV) for the Dutch Marine Corps - Samson (BARV1), Hercules (BARV2), Goliath (BARV3) and Titan (BARV4). They are 7.65 meters long, 3.25 meters wide and 3.35 meters high with a ground clearance of 0.44 meters. The weight is 42.5 tons. They are used in amphibious landing operations of the HNLMS Rotterdam or HNLMS Johan de Witt ( Rotterdam class ) to rescue damaged vehicles near the shore.

However, was not continued, the tri-national project Panzerhaubitze 155-1 from 1973 to 1986. The median artillery rocket system Wegmann rocket launcher Rocket System 80 on Leopard chassis was in favor of the wheel development LARS also not realized.

The Panther weapon system, a trilateral development between Germany, France and Great Britain, started in 1991 and ended in 1993. In the German model, for example, there was an extendable 12-meter mast on the chassis with the launch device for the PARS 3 LR guided missile and the Osiris opto-electronic aiming and reconnaissance system . The project started in 1997 for an artillery observation tank based on the Leopard 1A5 was also not implemented. Without a main weapon and equipped with the SEM 80/90 radio system, a GPS receiver and artillery-specific computer systems for fire control, this configuration was intended to replace the artillery observation tank on the M113 .

Only the prototype status was achieved by the Leopard 1 AMCV Armored Mine Clearing Vehicle built in 1999 , a Norwegian mine clearance vehicle , tested in KFOR deployment. Its functional principle is similar to that of the German Keiler , but it has the British Aardvark mine clearance system as well as electronic and explosive mine clearance equipment. Other unrealized prototypes / studies were Leopard FlaRakPz Roland , Leopard MKPV (armored field road device), Leopard MKPV (armored mine-layer), the armored pioneer machine, a Flapanzer with Otomatic-76/62 flak tower (76 mm) from Oto Melara , the Leopard 1 ADATS (similar to the Panther project), the Leopard 1 / Gepard PRTL (Dutch cheetah alternative) and a variant with a GIAT 155 mm turret.

See also : Fire fighting tank

literature

• Raimund Knecht: Leopard battle tank. (= Weapon systems today. 1) completely revised version, Verlag Wehr & Wissen, Koblenz / Bonn 1977, ISBN 3-8033-0262-5 .
• Walter J. Spielberger: The Leopard battle tanks and their varieties. (= Military vehicles. 1) Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-613-01198-0 .
• Karl Anweiler, Jürgen Plate, Manfred Pahlkötter: Wheeled and tracked vehicles of the Bundeswehr in the 90s. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-613-01847-0 .
• Karl Anweiler, Rainer Blank: The wheeled and tracked vehicles of the Bundeswehr. Bechtermünz, Augsburg 1998, ISBN 3-8289-5331-X .
• Jürgen Plate, Lutz-Reiner Gau, Jörg Siegert : German military vehicles. Bundeswehr and NVA. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-613-02152-8 .
• Paul-Werner Krapke: Leopard 2. Its becoming and its performance. Self-published, sl 2004, ISBN 3-8334-1425-1 .
• Rolf Hilmes: Main battle tanks today and tomorrow. Concepts - Systems - Technologies. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-613-02793-0 .
• Christopher Foss: Jane's Armor & Artillery 2009–2010. Jane's Information Group Inc, Coulsdon 2009, ISBN 978-0-7106-2882-4 .
• Rolf Hilmes: MBT Leopard 1: 1956-2003 (type compass). Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-613-03360-3 .

Web links

Commons : Leopard 1  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

• Bundeswehr Classix: The most expensive hardtop in Europe (1970) ( YouTube video on the production of the Leopard 1)
• Bundeswehr Classix: Four in a Leopard (1972) (YouTube video)
• Tankograd - Military Vehicles Special No 5013 LEOPARD 1 Main Battle Tank in the Bundeswehr - Early Years. The Leopard 1 MBT in German Army Service - Early Years (dt.), (En.)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Product information | KMW. Retrieved June 26, 2020 . 
2. ^ Frank Lobitz: Leopard 1 battle tank in the Bundeswehr . Later years (=  military vehicles special . No. 5014 ). Tankograd Publishing, Erlangen 2006, Export und Verleib, p. 6 .
3. ^ Walter J. Spielberger: The Leopard battle tanks and their varieties. P. 8.
4. ↑ Paul Werner Krapke: Leopard 2: His becoming and his performance. P. 125.
5. ↑ Dieter H. Kollmer: Armament Interventionism - Armaments Procurement of the Federal Republic of Germany after 1945. In: Dieter H. Kollmer (Ed.): Military-Industrial Complex? Armaments in Europe and North America after World War II. On behalf of the Center for Military History and Social Sciences of the Bundeswehr. Freiburg i.Br./Berlin/Wien 2015, p. 142.
6. ^ Walter J. Spielberger: The Leopard battle tanks and their varieties. P. 10.
7. ^ Walter J. Spielberger: The Leopard battle tanks and their varieties. P. 13.
8. ^ Walter J. Spielberger: The Leopard battle tanks and their varieties. P. 28 f.
9. ↑ See Edelfried Baganski: Combat strength comparison of German tanks 1918 to 1989. In: Komitee Nachbau Sturmpanzerwagen A7V in collaboration with the Military History Research Office (ed.). Assault armored car A7V. From the original tank to the Leopard 2. A contribution to the history of the military and technology. Herford 1990, p. 351.
10. ↑ Cf. Dieter H. Kollmer: Armaments Interventionism - Armaments Procurement of the Federal Republic of Germany after 1945. In: Dieter H. Kollmer (Ed.): Military-Industrial Complex? Armaments in Europe and North America after World War II. On behalf of the Center for Military History and Social Sciences of the Bundeswehr. Freiburg i.Br./Berlin/Wien 2015, p. 147.
11. ↑ Edelfried Baganski: Combat strength comparison of German tanks 1918 to 1989. In: Komitee Nachbau Sturmpanzerwagen A7V in cooperation with the Military History Research Office (ed.). Assault armored car A7V. From the original tank to the Leopard 2. A contribution to the history of the military and technology. Herford 1990, p. 352.
12. ↑ Edelfried Baganski: Combat strength comparison of German tanks 1918 to 1989. In: Komitee Nachbau Sturmpanzerwagen A7V in cooperation with the Military History Research Office (ed.). Assault armored car A7V. From the original tank to the Leopard 2. A contribution to the history of the military and technology. Herford 1990, p. 352.
13. ^ Walter J. Spielberger: Waffensysteme Leopard 1 and Leopard 2. P. 67. Breakdown of the BWB over the total costs of the development.
14. ↑ ^{a b} Walter J. Spielberger: The battle tanks Leopard 1 and Leopard 2. P. 397.
15. ↑ Walter J. Spielberger: The battle tanks Leopard 1 and Leopard 2. P. 394.
16. ↑ Walter J. Spielberger: The battle tanks Leopard 1 and Leopard 2. P. 388.
17. ↑ Walter J. Spielberger: The battle tanks Leopard 1 and Leopard 2. P. 58 f.
18. ↑ Frank Lobitz: Leopard 1 battle tank in the Bundeswehr - early years. Tankograd - military vehicles special 5013; Fire control and weapon stabilization system pages 4 to 7.
19. ^ Walter J. Spielberger: The battle tanks Leopard 1 and Leopard 2. P. 60 f.
20. ↑ BW TD Service Regulation: TD Leopard 1a5 . In: BW TD-Dienstvorschrift (Hrsg.): BW . tape 1 .
21. ↑ war effort by Canada: Canada beefs up Afghan commitment was . Retrieved July 6, 2014.
22. ^ War effort through Canada: website of the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians); B Sqn's first tanks arrive in Kandahar. ( Memento of March 27, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) (English).
23. ↑ Lord Strathcona's Horse: Hoovering in Afghanistan (viewed on September 27, 2009)  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
24. ↑ LEOBEN at www.deutschesheer.de
25. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Christopher Foss: Jane's Armor and Artillery, p. 45 f.
26. ^ Frank Lobitz: Leopard 1 battle tank in the Bundeswehr - late years. Tankograd - military vehicles special 5014, Leopard 1A3 (5th construction lot - welding tower ), page 39
27. ^ Frank Lobitz: Leopard 1 battle tank in the Bundeswehr - Late Years, Tankograd - Military Vehicles Special 5014, Leopard 1A6 VT-2 and VT-5, page 8
28. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} Christopher Foss: Jane's Armor and Artillery. P. 47 ff.
29. ^ Guy Verbruggen: Derniers coups de canon pour le Léopard. [archive], sur Armée belge, 5 octobre 2013 (consulté le 26 octobre 2013)
30. ↑ Krauss-Maffei Wegmann: Press release - KMW hands over first LEOPARD 1A5 main battle tank to Brazilian army.  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. October 29, 2009 (PDF).  
31. ^ Aging Leopards Prowl The Andes. In: strategypage.com, accessed October 20, 2010.
32. ↑ http://www.army-guide.com/eng/countrys.php?countryID=84 (English).
33. ↑ http://www.army-guide.com/eng/product152.html (English).
34. ↑ ^{a b} Federal Government: Arms Exports - Sale of German Leopard Main Battle Tanks to Middle East and other countries . Ed .: German Bundestag. Berlin September 11, 2013.
35. ↑ defensie.nl ( Memento of the original from January 17, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
36. ^ Walter J. Spielberger: Waffensysteme Leopard 1 and Leopard 2. Volume 1, Motorbuch Verlag, ISBN 3-613-01655-9 , pp. 143-185.

• Series of pictures for Kpz Leopard 1 and variants
• Photo series for the Leopard 1 A5
• Details about the fire control system of the Leopard 1 and details about the fire control system of the L1 A4
• The Leopard 1 on www.hartziel.de
• Page of the PzBtl 74
• Page of the PzBtl 194
• Dutch Cavalry Museum

This article was added to the list of excellent articles on December 3, 2009 in this version .