Leopard 1A5

This page is about the German medium tank Leopard 1A5. For other versions, see Leopard 1 (Family).

Leopard 1A5

Leopard A1A1

Leopard 2A4

Leopard 1A5

Leopard A1A1

Leopard 2A4

Germany

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
9.3	9.3	9.3

Class:

Medium tank

Research:94 000

Purchase:520 000

Show in game

Description

The Leopard 1A5 is a rank VI German medium tank with a battle rating of 9.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "New Power". Leopard 1A5 is the final evolution of the Leopard 1 family, and thus offers some very competitive tools at players disposal.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Self-entrenching equipment

Creation of ramparts and trenches in soft ground

Armourfront / side / back

Hull70 / 35 / 25

Turret65 / 45 / 52

Crew4 people

Visibility95 %

The Leopard 1A5, being a further development of the Leopard A1A1, does not differ much from its predecessor in terms of armour. The Leopard 1A5 prioritizes firepower and mobility over the survivability of the tank.

The armor in the frontal arc is reliable against many of the autocannons found on IFVs at the rank, but occasional rounds can penetrate the turret ring. Side armor can be reliably penetrated by autocannon fire, thus it is vital to keep the front of the armour towards the enemy.

Chemical and kinetic rounds from main battle tanks and other vehicles should have no problem to penetrate Leopards armor when they hit centre mass.

Looking at the Leopard from the front, 3 out of 4 crew members sit in almost straight line on the left side of the tank, thus potentially allowing it to get one shot by a well placed shot. On top of that, Leopard's biggest ammo rack is located on the right side of the hull, protected only by a 70mm thin frontal plate angled at 57°. Thus Leopard's hull presents a highly rewarding target and players must avoid getting shot in the hull at all costs. 

On the other hand, Leopard's height is just slightly taller than T-72 by a few centimetres, and the gun can be depressed to -9°, allowing Leopard 1A5 to fight well on uneven terrain.

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	70 mm (60°) Upper Glacis 50 mm (50°) Lower Glacis	35 mm Upper 30 mm Lower	25 mm	15-30 mm
Turret	45-120 mm Gun mantlet	40-43 mm Right Side 37-45 mm Left Side	33-52 mm	21-65 mm
Additional Armor	10-35 mm Gun Mantlet	10-20 mm Turret Sides 5 mm Sideskirts	5-10 mm Turret Rear	N/A

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB73 / 28 km/h

RB and SB66 / 26 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

4 back

Weight42.5 t

Engine power

AB1 584 hp

RB and SB830 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB37.3 hp/t

RB and SB19.5 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	73	28	42.5	1,286	1,584	30.26	37.27
Realistic	66	26		734	830	17.27	19.53

 Leopard 1A5 shares almost the same mobility as its predecessor, with only negligible loss of HP per ton. Excellent agility, above average speed and great suspension allow players to reach favorable positions and relocate quickly in case of emergency.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 912 → 6 102

RB3 996 → 6 233

SB5 106 → 7 965

Total cost of modifications160 100

267 000

Talisman cost2 600

Crew training150 000

Experts520 000

Aces2 100

Research Aces950 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

150 / 200 / 230 %

220 / 220 / 220 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 6 700 Cost: 11 000 300 Suspension Research: 7 600 Cost: 12 000 340 Brake System Research: 7 600 Cost: 12 000 340 Filters Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 490 Transmission Research: 9 100 Cost: 14 000 400 Engine Research: 9 100 Cost: 14 000 400	Improved Parts Research: 2 000 Cost: 11 000 300 Improved FPE Research: 2 300 Cost: 12 000 340 Crew Replenishment Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 490 Smoke grenade Research: 9 100 Cost: 14 000 400	Horizontal Drive Research: 6 700 Cost: 11 000 300 105mm_usa_HESH_ammo_pack Research: 6 700 Cost: 11 000 300 105mm_NATO_APDS_FS_ammo_pack Research: 6 700 Cost: 11 000 300 Adjustment of Fire Research: 7 600 Cost: 12 000 340 Dozer Blade Research: 7 600 Cost: 12 000 340 Elevation Mechanism Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 490 NVD Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 490 Artillery Support Research: 9 100 Cost: 14 000 400 105mm_DM33_APDS_FS_ammo_pack Research: 9 100 Cost: 14 000 400 Laser rangefinder Research: 9 100 Cost: 14 000 400

Players focus should be on firepower upgrades. After parts and FPE, one should go for the DM23 round, as most tanks at this rank have either composite armour, ERA or in the worst case scenario both, making stock HEAT rounds very ineffective.

After that, players' focus should be on getting thermals, which help tremendously with acquiring targets and it is impossible to fight at night without them.

Lastly, players should go for DM33 and laser rangefinder. Those make Leopard 1A5 a powerful sniper and level its fighting chance against most opponents.

Armaments

Laser rangefinder

Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder

Night vision device

Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Thermal imager

Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Main armament

105 mm L7A3 cannon

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Ammunition60 rounds

First-order14 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

8.7 → 6.7 s

Vertical guidance-9° / 20°

105 mm L7A3					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	60	-9°/+20°	±180°	Two-plane	22.8	31.6	38.4	42.5	45.2	8.71	7.70	7.10	6.70
Realistic					14.3	16.8	20.4	22.6	24.0

Leopard 1A5 mounts a late-generation fully stabilised L7 cannon, which is pretty standard at this rank. It also has access to standard ammunition selection, though one thing to note is that it has the option to equip lethal DM33 rounds, which are the third best NATO rounds available for 105 mm guns (after M800 and DM63).

Ammunition[edit | edit source]

• DM12 HEAT-FS - Players starting round. HEAT round does not lose penetration with distance travelled. Unlike kinetic penetrators, it has one downside: given that it is a chemical round, its fuse is highly sensitive in regards to its practical application in battle. With the emergence of composite and reactive armour, it quickly becomes obsolete in the anti-tank role. Requires careful aiming to properly damage newer tanks, though it can hold its own while fighting older tanks, lighter vehicles and low flying helicopters.
• DM502 HESH - This round was always plagued by a plethora of problems. Low velocity, low penetration, inconsistent mechanics and sensitive fuse make this round gimmicky at best. That being said, with the overpressure mechanic, this round can be used in CQB against light vehicles with devastating effect.
• DM23 APFSDS - Available as a tier I modification, this round allows player to engage modern tanks more reliably, since it performs better against composite and reactive armour. Penetration is relatively below average when compared to rounds available to Leopard 1A5s contemporaries, it should be used as a stop gap solution until a better round becomes available.
• DM33 APFSDS - Best round available to Leopard 1A5 and third best NATO round available for 105 mm cannons. It allows player to engage most enemies at Leopard 1A5s BR at any range reliably. With careful aiming, even higher BR vehicles are not safe. Player should be of note that this round can easily over penetrate light vehicles such as BMP-2 or SPAAGs, so aiming at vital components is preferred in order to create shrapnel necessary to destroy them.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
DM12	HEATFS	400	400	400	400	400	400
DM502	HESH	127	127	127	127	127	127
DM23	APFSDS	337	335	330	322	314	306
DM33	APFSDS	408	405	398	389	379	370

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
DM12	HEATFS	1,173	10.5	0.05	0.1	1,270	65°	72°	77°
DM502	HESH	732	14.85	0.05	0.1	4,310	73°	77°	80°
DM23	APFSDS	1,455	3.79	N/A	N/A	N/A	78°	80°	81°
DM33	APFSDS	1,455	3.79	N/A	N/A	N/A	78°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Leopard A1A1 (identical).

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
60	57 (+3)	54 (+6)	15 (+45)	4 (+56)	1 (+59)	No

Machine guns

7.62 mm MG3A1 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition4 600 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate1 200 shots/min

7.62 mm MG3A1 machine gun

Ammunition2 000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate1 200 shots/min

7.62 mm MG3A1
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	4,500 (1,000)	1,200	N/A	N/A
Pintle	2,000 (1,000)	1,200	-8°/+20°	±120°

Usage in battles

Leopard 1A5 is a natural evolution of Leopard A1A1s playstyle, and performs similarly to Leopard A1A1 (L/44).

Tactics:

With addition of laser range finder, more powerful round and thermal gunner optics, Leopard 1A5 can become a very potent sniper on open maps.

Players should exploit Leopard's mobility, low profile and handy gun depression to reach favorable hull down positions and start picking off targets. Entrenched sniping Leopard 1A5 becomes a nightmare for enemy tanks trying to cross its sight line, as this playstyle allows players to negate their biggest weakness - lack of armor. 

Leopards can flank well, but as thermal sights and laser range finders are becoming more common at Leopard 1A5s BR, one must adapt certain flanking tactics:

First, players shouldn't move across an open field without cover unless they know for certain that there is no one watching or unless absolutely necessary. 

Second, players should utilize terrain as much as they can - after all, a thermal imager is just a filter for a camera, and can't highlight the thermal signature of something that can't be seen in the first place. Move below the horizon, try to put as much heavy foliage as you can between you and the suspected position of enemy tanks. 

Third, do not be afraid to stop when approaching suspected enemy positions, turn off your engine and listen. This allows you to detect enemy flankers in close proximity before they enter your field of vision, thus allowing you to avoid getting ambushed.

Sadly, while Leopard 1A5 performs great at longer ranges, its performance on CQC maps, with corridors and streets that do not allow to exploit Leopard's mobility, like those found on Advance to Rhine, is below average. Due to lack of armor, IFVs with high RoF autocannons and more armored tanks in general outperform Leopards by wide margin in these environments. Lone Leopard is expected to lose in most scenarios, thus players should focus on supporting their allies. Let them take a shot, and as soon as you see the enemy tank return fire, lunge forward and send the enemy back to the garage. 

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Has access to the powerful DM33 round
• Has access to generation 1 gunner thermals
• Excellent mobility
• Turret angles can occasionally cause shots to ricochet

Cons:

• Armour doesn't offer much against any kinetic rounds
• Low survivability when hit
• Weak armour overall

History

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Media

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See also

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;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

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