The Leopard 2A5 is the sixth variant of the Leopard 2 main battle tank family. The Leopard 2A5 variant (introduced in mid-1998) is visually distinct from previous variants due to the addition of wedge-shaped spaced add-on armour over the entire front as well as the forward sides of the turret. The ideology behind this wedge-shaped, spaced add-on armour is that it may deflect and erode kinetic-energy penetrators as well as neutralize a hollow charge before it reaches the base armour. The shot-trap effect was investigated and avoided as a result of the first layer, which does not deflect penetrators into the hull, as well as angle calculations and the material utilized for the outer layer. As a result, the gun mantlet had been modified to fit in with the new add-on armour. Furthermore, the entire composite armour composition was revised and improved. To prevent fragmentation, spall liners were installed in the crew compartment, and the frontal area of the side skirts was improved and strengthened. To reduce weight and simplify maintenance and reliability, the turret traverse and systems were entirely electric. The tank commander's sight was relocated behind the hatch, and separate thermal imaging equipment was installed. The gunner's sight was also relocated to the turret roof (previous versions had it built into the cavity in the front turret armour). The driver's hatch has also been modified. Since this variant was designed to be upgraded to the new 120 mm Rheinmetall L/55 tank gun in the future Leopard 2A6 variant, the entire gun brake system was modified as well.

Introduced in Update 1.87 "Locked On", the Leopard 2A5 variant provides higher turret protection than the preceding Leopard 2A4 variant due to the addition of spaced add-on armour covering the frontal area and forward flanks of the turret. Despite being a spaced add-on armour, the distinctive wedge-shaped design effectively disrupts and decreases the energy of incoming enemy tank ammunition rounds, resulting in significant armour penetration reduction. The tank layouts are identical to the Leopard 2A4, but there are minor differences in crew locations. The tank commander's sight has been substantially upgraded, providing the tank commander with an independent sight equipped with thermal imaging equipment, introducing the hunter-killer capabilities.