BW – Kampfpanzer Leopard 2A7V

Kampfpanzer Leopard 2A7V

The Leopard 2A7V main battle tank was deliberately designed to increase the quantity of vehicles. In addition, existing obsolescence problems had to be solved and the project had to be completed within a certain timeframe. For these reasons, various technical measures were ruled out from the beginning that could not be brought to production maturity in the time available. As was the case with the Leopard 2A7, the modifications to the Leopard 2A7V, which primarily affect the areas of protection, mobility, controllability, endurance and firepower, consist not only of performance-enhancing measures but also of complementary ones.

For example, the protection level of the chassis will be increased by replacing the internal protection modules in the front of the hull with modern protection modules in D technology, adapting a front protection module at the bow, a duel glacis plate protection as well as catchers in the side hull area and the installation of universal brackets for the optional mounting of heavy side skirts. Since the hulls of the 68 Leopard 2A4s scheduled for conversion to Leopard 2A7V were already too worn and the conversion would have been too complex and cost-intensive, new hulls are being built for these vehicles. In addition to the modifications necessary to attach the heavy side skirts to the sides of the vehicle, the taillights are integrated into the cooling air outlet grilles and modular fittings are attached at the rear of the hull. Multifunctional protective mountings for optional attachment of additional armour were also fitted to the turret sides.

Due to the new P 25000 HD final drives with modified transmission ratio, the Leopard 2A7V is now again able to adequately perform the tactical „jump“ from cover. However, this advantage is bought by a reduced top speed, which is anyway rather a pure nominal value without any practical use. In addition, the vehicle receives a 570 Z end connector track adapted to the increased weight, new sprockets, reinforced torsion bars and four additional hydraulic bump stops.

In addition to an Attica 3rd generation thermal sight and a new eye-safe laser rangefinder in the EMES 15A2 main sight, the gunner will have an additional display to the left of his control handles. This allows him to observe the EMES and PERI R17A3 fields of view more fatigue-free during longer operations due to the more ergonomic seating position. To increase night combat capability, a SPECTUS II (Spectral Technology for Unlimited Sight) multispectral driver assistance system with a sCMOS camera each for daytime vision and residual light vision, as well as an uncooled thermal sight, is fitted to both the front and rear of the vehicle. The front and rear views are displayed on two different displays.

The modular fighting compartment cooling system introduced in the Leopard 2A7 version and installed in the turret rear is being replaced by a new system with a cooling capacity of up to 10 kW, which also includes a modern NBC overpressure protection ventilation system. This system is used not only for cooling the turret fighting compartment, but also for cooling the electronics room and the ammunition room in the turret. The old NBC compartment on the left side of the hull can now be used for another cooling unit with up to 10 kW cooling capacity especially for the driver. By means of a hose, the tempered air is now also fed into the driver’s compartment, which had been a requirement of the tank crews for a very long time.

All 68 vehicles originally based on the Leopard 2A4 main battle tank will be equipped with the new L55A1 120 mm smoothbore gun, including new breechblocks, recoil brakes and recuperators, which permits significantly higher gas pressure. In order to be able to carry the heaviest type of ammunition to date, the DM11 cartridge, without restrictions on stowage location and number, the ammunition holders in the turret and hull are being revised. On the Leopard 2A7V, the 76 mm smoke grenade discharger system has only six instead of eight launchers per turret side. With the installation of an Explosion Resistant GPS Receiver (ERGR), the vehicle receives a modern navigation system with higher accuracy and deception resistance against GPS signal interference. As part of obsolescence and vulnerability elimination, a new digitized control system for the electric weapon tracking system and a new commander’s monitor with an 8.4-inch display will be installed. These will be introduced with the Leopard 2A7V version, but will also be retrofitted to older versions in the long term. The stowage concept of the Leopard 2A7V has also been adapted again compared with the Leopard 2A7. For example, 16 snow grousers and a fire extinguisher are now carried in holders at the rear of the turret. Due to external changes, the Barracuda multispectral protection equipment already introduced with the Leopard 2A7 had to be adapted to the Leopard 2A7V.

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Yearbook – Armoured Vehicles of the Modern German Army 2022

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