Difference between revisions of "Leopard 2A5"

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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.
  
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.
+
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. Additionally, the large mantlet of the 2A4 has been replaced by a far smaller and more armoured mantlet, making it far harder to hit, though most ammunition at top tier can still penetrate it easily. 
  
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 Soviet 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 ===
 
<!--Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.-->
 
<!--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.
 
 
Keep in mind that the neutral steering is quite underperforming (way slower than on the Leopard 2A4).  
 
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
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{{main|Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)}}
 
{{main|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.  
+
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 [[M1A2 Abrams]], [[Challenger 2]] and [[T-80U]].  
  
 
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* Gunner optics are now mounted on top of the turret, removing the annoying weak spot present on the Leopard 2A4
 
* Gunner optics are now mounted on top of the turret, removing the annoying weak spot present on the Leopard 2A4
 
* Cannon barrel and cannon breech absorbs impact rounds which may otherwise penetrate the turret and injure crews
 
* Cannon barrel and cannon breech absorbs impact rounds which may otherwise penetrate the turret and injure crews
 +
* Very good thermal imaging quality (800 x 600)
 +
* Has access to commander thermals
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''

Revision as of 14:25, 13 November 2019

VTOL | Rank 5 USA
AV-8A Harrier Pack
germ_leopard_2a5.png
Leopard 2A5
AB RB SB
11.7 11.7 11.7
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 11.7 (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. Additionally, the large mantlet of the 2A4 has been replaced by a far smaller and more armoured mantlet, making it far harder to hit, though most ammunition at top tier can still penetrate it easily.

Be aware of Soviet 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
250 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
400 mm Kinetic
600 mm Chemical
N/A
Turret turret cheeks
800 mm Kinetic
1200 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

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.

Armaments

Main armament

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 M1A2 Abrams, 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 16 (+26) (+41) 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
  • Cannon barrel and cannon breech absorbs impact rounds which may otherwise penetrate the turret and injure crews
  • Very good thermal imaging quality (800 x 600)
  • Has access to commander thermals

Cons:

  • Lower glacis can still be penetrated by most shells
  • 16 shells in the ready-rack may be insufficient when playing in Arcade Battles
  • 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 provide 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 2A4
  • Despite all the added armour, 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

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 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