Difference between revisions of "Leopard 2A5"

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(Removed Effective armour and Composite armour composition from table to remove exorbitantly large table with all that. Removed approx. footnote due to data range already implying an approx. value. Adjusted spacing with br code)
(Updated section descriptions, Added some more notes on the armour)
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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
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[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
{{break}}
 
{{break}}
 
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.87 "Locked On"]].
 
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.87 "Locked On"]].
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The succeeding variant of the [[Leopard 2A4]], the Leopard 2A5 is distinguished by an overall improved turret front armour, most notably with the add-on armour bulks in the turret front, giving a wedge-shape rather than the flat shapes that the 2A4 variant presented.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
−
<!--''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat?''
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If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.-->
  
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''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
 
 
The Leopard 2A5 has improved armour compared to its predecessor, the hull is much better protected and the already impenetrable turret cheeks have more protection on the side of the turret. Add-on armour boosts the ability to protect against HEAT-FS and early ADFSDS rounds. The wedges on the front of the turret are able to be blown off if a round with enough energy hits it.The gunners optic is also moved into the roof to eliminate the weak spot which was easily penetrated by any tank.
 
The Leopard 2A5 has improved armour compared to its predecessor, the hull is much better protected and the already impenetrable turret cheeks have more protection on the side of the turret. Add-on armour boosts the ability to protect against HEAT-FS and early ADFSDS rounds. The wedges on the front of the turret are able to be blown off if a round with enough energy hits it.The gunners optic is also moved into the roof to eliminate the weak spot which was easily penetrated by any tank.
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 +
One big changeover along with the armour wedges in the front is the repositioning of the gunner's sight. In the 2A4, the gunner's sight in the turret front presented a weakness that was easily compromised. In the 2A5, the gunner's sight was relocated to the turret roof, and so this weakness is no longer present on the 2A5.
  
 
Be aware of Russian tanks though! Most of them will carry their HE rounds that can easily destroy you anywhere they hit. A hit directly to the turret will most likely send fragments into your hull, penetrate and lets your fuel tank explode or at least set a fire and knock out the gun barrel.
 
Be aware of Russian tanks though! Most of them will carry their HE rounds that can easily destroy you anywhere they hit. A hit directly to the turret will most likely send fragments into your hull, penetrate and lets your fuel tank explode or at least set a fire and knock out the gun barrel.
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=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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<!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''-->
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<!--Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.-->
 
The only drawback compared to the previous model would be the Leopard 2A5's mobility since despite the 4 tons increase in weight, the engine remains the same, so the Leopard 2A5 is both slower and less manoeuvrable compared to the Leopard 2A4, but it can still keep up with the other nations MBTs  
 
The only drawback compared to the previous model would be the Leopard 2A5's mobility since despite the 4 tons increase in weight, the engine remains the same, so the Leopard 2A5 is both slower and less manoeuvrable compared to the Leopard 2A4, but it can still keep up with the other nations MBTs  
  
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== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
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<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''-->
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<!--Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.-->
 
{{main|Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)}}
 
{{main|Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)}}
  
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| ''Arcade'' || 38.08 || 52.71 || 64.00 || __.__ || 75.29
 
| ''Arcade'' || 38.08 || 52.71 || 64.00 || __.__ || 75.29
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''Realistic'' || 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
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| ''Realistic'' || 23.80 || 28.00 || 34.00 || 37.60 || 40.00
 
|-
 
|-
 
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
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=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
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<!--Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.-->
 
{{main|MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)}}
 
{{main|MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)}}
  
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! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 
|-
 
|-
−
| colspan="4" | 2,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || -__°/+__° || -__°/+__°
+
| colspan="4" | 2,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || -8°/+20° || ±120°
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
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<!--Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).-->
  
 
The Leopard 2A5 is slower, but it has much better armor and access to the DM33 round. With these new changes, the playstyle changes a bit too:
 
The Leopard 2A5 is slower, but it has much better armor and access to the DM33 round. With these new changes, the playstyle changes a bit too:
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=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they can be substituted with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''-->
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<!--Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".-->
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
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== History ==
 
== History ==
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<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's devblog entry (if applicable) and the ingame encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== Encyclopedia Info ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
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<!--Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).-->
 
In 1988, German engineers began work on modernizing the Leopard 2 main battle tank. Improvements were made to the tank’s defensive capabilities, primarily the turret armour. Moreover, the 2A5 model was fitted with an electric stabiliser instead of the electro-hydraulic variant that the previous versions used.
 
In 1988, German engineers began work on modernizing the Leopard 2 main battle tank. Improvements were made to the tank’s defensive capabilities, primarily the turret armour. Moreover, the 2A5 model was fitted with an electric stabiliser instead of the electro-hydraulic variant that the previous versions used.
  
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== See also ==
 
== See also ==
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<!--''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
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<!--Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''-->
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''-->
  
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* [[Leopard 2A4]]
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* [[Leopard 2A4]] - Preceding vehicle
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
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<!--Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
 
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
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* ''other literature.'' -->
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* ''other literature.''-->
  
 
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/6098-development-leopard-2a5-this-time-we-are-dead-serious-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard 2A5: This Time We Are Dead Serious]
 
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/6098-development-leopard-2a5-this-time-we-are-dead-serious-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard 2A5: This Time We Are Dead Serious]
  
 
{{Germany medium tanks}}
 
{{Germany medium tanks}}

Revision as of 07:30, 29 May 2019

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
Leopard 2A5
germ_leopard_2a5.png
Leopard 2A5
Germany flag.png Germany
VIII Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
12.0 12.0 12.0
Class:
Research:400 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:1 080 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game
This page is about the medium tank Leopard 2A5. For other uses, see Leopard (Family).

Description

GarageImage Leopard 2A5.jpg


The Leopard 2A5 is a Rank VIII German medium tank with a battle rating of 12.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.87 "Locked On".

The succeeding variant of the Leopard 2A4, the Leopard 2A5 is distinguished by an overall improved turret front armour, most notably with the add-on armour bulks in the turret front, giving a wedge-shape rather than the flat shapes that the 2A4 variant presented.

General info

Survivability and armour

The Leopard 2A5 has improved armour compared to its predecessor, the hull is much better protected and the already impenetrable turret cheeks have more protection on the side of the turret. Add-on armour boosts the ability to protect against HEAT-FS and early ADFSDS rounds. The wedges on the front of the turret are able to be blown off if a round with enough energy hits it.The gunners optic is also moved into the roof to eliminate the weak spot which was easily penetrated by any tank.

One big changeover along with the armour wedges in the front is the repositioning of the gunner's sight. In the 2A4, the gunner's sight in the turret front presented a weakness that was easily compromised. In the 2A5, the gunner's sight was relocated to the turret roof, and so this weakness is no longer present on the 2A5.

Be aware of Russian tanks though! Most of them will carry their HE rounds that can easily destroy you anywhere they hit. A hit directly to the turret will most likely send fragments into your hull, penetrate and lets your fuel tank explode or at least set a fire and knock out the gun barrel.

Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 35 mm (53-82°) Upper glacis
40 mm (50-51°) Lower glacis 		10 mm (5°) Upper hull
35 mm (0°) Lower forward hull
20 mm (0°) Lower rear hull 		20 mm (12-50°) All rear 20 mm (0-8°) Hull roof incl. engine deck
Turret 80 mm (57-59°) Right cheek add-on
80 mm (55-58°) Left cheek add-on
30 mm (63°) Upper mantlet add-on
400 mm (1°) Mantlet armour
350 mm (9°) Mantlet shroud 		80 mm (20-22°) Right add-on
80 mm (22°) Left add-on
35 mm (0°) Forward
15 mm (0°) Rear 		20 mm (10°) Basket
20 mm (70°) Turret underside 		35 - 40 mm (80-89°) Forehead Armour
14 mm (68-82°) Forward sides
20 mm (89°) Rear turret
20 mm (83°) Basket
Composite armour Front Sides
Hull Upper+Lower glacis
200 - 300 mm Kinetic
305 - 545 mm Chemical 		N/A
Turret Left cheek
415 mm Kinetic
610 mm Chemical

Right cheek
400 - 440 mm Kinetic
605 - 705 mm Chemical

Gun mantlet (Center)
260 - 325 mm Kinetic
600 - 690 mm Chemical

Gun mantlet (Outer)
425 - 460 mm Kinetic
825 - 905 Chemical

Side armour
260 mm Kinetic
230 - 285 mm Chemical

Notes:

  • Upper hull and Lower rear hull overlap (10 + 20 mm thick)
  • Upper mantlet add-on and Mantlet armour overlap (30 + 400 mm thick)
  • Holes in the engine deck are covered by 8 mm of mesh
  • Approximate kinetic effectiveness ratings have been calculated using effectiveness from the M1 Abrams page, and scaled with RHA and HHR as constants.
  • Approximate chemical effectiveness ratings have been calculated using effectiveness from the M1 Abrams page, and scaled with External Comp. w/ NERA Elements as a constant.

Mobility

The only drawback compared to the previous model would be the Leopard 2A5's mobility since despite the 4 tons increase in weight, the engine remains the same, so the Leopard 2A5 is both slower and less manoeuvrable compared to the Leopard 2A4, but it can still keep up with the other nations MBTs

Keep in mind that the neutral steering is quite underperforming (way slower than on the Leopard 2A4).

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)

The Leopard 2A5 has access to the DM33 APFSDS shells which make it a deadlier foe as few tanks can stand against it with the exception of the Challenger 2 and T-80U.

120 mm Rheinmetall L44
Capacity Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance 		Stabilizer
42 -9°/+20° ±180° Two-plane
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 38.08 52.71 64.00 __.__ 75.29
Realistic 23.80 28.00 34.00 37.60 40.00
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
7.80 __.__ __.__ __.__
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 0° Angle of Attack
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
DM23 APFSDS 410 408 401 393 384 376
DM12A1 HEATFS 650 650 650 650 650 650
DM33 APFSDS 481 478 470 461 450 440
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent): 		Normalization At 30°
from horizontal: 		Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
DM23 APFSDS 1,640 4.3 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 78° 80° 81°
DM12A1 HEATFS 1,140 13.5 0.0 0.1 1,640 +0° 65° 72° 75°
DM33 APFSDS 1,640 4.3 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 78° 80° 81°
Ammo racks
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
42 XX (+XX) XX (+XX) No

Machine guns

Main article: MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm MG 3A1
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
4,500 (1,000) 1,200 N/A N/A
Pintle mount (Loader)
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
2,000 (1,000) 1,200 -8°/+20° ±120°

Usage in battles

The Leopard 2A5 is slower, but it has much better armor and access to the DM33 round. With these new changes, the playstyle changes a bit too:

  • Hull down: In the 2A4, the gunners optic was easily penetrated so the hull-down was still vulnerable. However, in the 2A5, this weak spot is eliminated and the armor of the turret is much better, so a hull-down position can now leave the Leopard 2A5 invulnerable.
  • Sniping: With the DM33 APFSDS round, the Leopard 2A5 can now make use of the great distance in combat to deal damage while tanking incoming shots.
  • Flanking: Due to the worse mobility compared to the 2A4, it is better to stick to more stationary tactics like hull down and sniping. However, with a little bit caution, flanking can still be successful.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Excellent 120 mm gun, DM33 APFSDS is capable of penetrating up to 481 mm maximum at point-blank range
  • Impenetrable turret cheeks, the add-on wedge armour makes the turret immune from every shell in the game (average of 850 mm against long rod APFSDS and 1,450 mm against HEAT)
  • Extremely good armour on the UFP (430mm against long rod APFSDS), immune to every shell in the game except DM33, M829, L26, OFL 120 G1 and 3BM42
  • Great gun handling: 40°/s turret rotation speed (with Ace crew) and -9°/+20° of vertical guidance
  • Side turret covered by add-on armour can bounce early APFSDS shells
  • Gunner optics are now mounted on top of the turret, removing the annoying weak spot present on the Leopard 2A4

Cons:

  • Lower glacis can still be penetrated by most shells
  • Huge hull ammo-rack if more than 16 shells are carried
  • Hull ammo-rack consequently makes the tank extremely vulnerable to HE shells
  • A penetrating shot on the left side of the hull will most likely knock out the driver, gunner and commander, thus destroying the tank
  • DM12A1 HEAT-FS, though very useful against light vehicles, costs 410 SL
  • 8x/12x sight can be tricky to use in close quarters engagements
  • The wedges can be shot off with several hits, though the turret cheeks alone provides 650 mm against KE
  • Tank's weight is 4 tons increased while the engine is still the same, making the Leopard 2A5 slower compared to the l2A4
  • Despite all the added armor, the turret ring and driver's hatch are both easily penetrated, and the enemy will most likely aim at these two spots to disable or destroy the tank.
  • Known bug in the transmission of the tank, issues with neutral steering even when spaded

History

In 1988, German engineers began work on modernizing the Leopard 2 main battle tank. Improvements were made to the tank’s defensive capabilities, primarily the turret armour. Moreover, the 2A5 model was fitted with an electric stabiliser instead of the electro-hydraulic variant that the previous versions used.

The gunner received improved and less vulnerable optics, and the tank commander – a panoramic periscope with thermal imaging. The build of the driver’s hatch was also modified, along with several other minor improvements made to the general design.

Leading to the 2A5 modernization program being officially approved by the military officials of Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. It is interesting to note that the models exported to the last two countries on the list were actually different from the ones issued to the German army – for instance, the Bundeswehr tanks received no extra frontal hull armour. Production of Leopard 2A5 tanks began in 1995. Overall, 350 earlier-version Leopards were upgraded as a result of the program.

- From Devblog

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

External links


Germany medium tanks
Pz.III  Pz.III B · Pz.III E · Pz.III F · Pz.III J · Pz.III J1 · Pz.III J1 TD · Pz.III L · Pz.III M · Pz.III N
Pz.IV  Pz.IV C · Pz.IV E · Pz.IV F1 · Pz.IV F2 · Pz.IV G · Pz.IV H · Pz.IV J · Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J
Pz.V  VK 3002 (M) · Panther A · Panther D · Panther F · Panther G · Ersatz M10 · Panther II
M48 upgrades  M48A2 G A2 · M48 Super
Leopard 1  Leopard I · Leopard A1A1 · Leopard A1A1 (L/44) · Leopard 1A5 · C2A1 · Turm III
Leopard 2  PT-16/T14 mod. · Leopard 2K · Leopard 2AV
  Leopard 2A4 · Leopard 2 (PzBtl 123) · Leopard 2A4M · Leopard 2 PL · Leopard 2A5 · Leopard 2 PSO · Leopard 2A6 · Leopard 2A7V
Trophies  ▀M4 748 (a) · ▀T 34 747 (r)
Other  Nb.Fz. · KPz-70
USA  mKPz M47 G · M48A2 C
USSR  ◊T-72M1

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