Country of origin |
Germany / Poland |
Entered service |
2020 |
Crew |
4 men |
Dimensions and weight |
Weight |
60 t |
Length (gun forward) |
9.67 m |
Hull length |
7.72 m |
Width |
3.7 m |
Height |
2.48 m |
Armament |
Main gun |
120 mm smoothbore |
Machine guns |
2 x 7.62 mm |
Elevation range |
- 9 to + 20 degrees |
Traverse range |
360 degrees |
Ammunition load |
Main gun |
42 rounds |
Machine guns |
4 750 x 7.62 mm |
Mobility |
Engine |
MTU MB 873 Ka501 diesel |
Engine power |
1 500 hp |
Maximum road speed |
72 km/h |
Range |
~ 500 km |
Maneuverability |
Gradient |
60% |
Side slope |
30% |
Vertical step |
1.15 m |
Trench |
3 m |
Fording |
1 m |
Fording (with preparation) |
4 m |
|
In 2002 Germany donated
to Poland a a total of 128
Leopard
2A4 tanks from the German Army stocks. In 2013 German MoD signed
a contract with Poland to sell another 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks, plus
105 newer
Leopard 2A5 tanks, and Bergepanzer 2 armored recovery vehicles
from the army stocks. In 2015 the Polish MoD selected Rheinmetall of
Germany as a favorite bidder to upgrade the older Leopard 2A4 tanks.
An upgraded version was developed by Rheinmetall in cooperation with
a number of Polish companies. It is called the Leopard 2PL. The
demonstrator was first publicly revealed in 2016. In 2018 a contract
was signed to upgrade the 142 Polish Leopard 2A4 tanks to the
Leopard 2PL standard. First upgraded tanks were delivered to the
Polish Army in 2020. Deliveries are planned to be completed by 2023.
Currently
Polish Army also operates eleven tank battalions. Two of them re
equipped with the Leopard 2A5 tanks. Another two are equipped with
Leopard 2A4 tanks, that are to be upgraded to Leopard 2PL standard.
Also there are four battalions equipped with
PT-91 Twardy tanks and three battalions equipped with older
T-72M1
tanks. Polish Army operates a total of 233 PT-91 tanks and 120 T-72M1 tanks.
Another 470 T-72M1 tanks are in storage.
The Leopard
2PL upgrade is broadly similar to the Rheinmetall
Revolution MBT. It has got improved armor protection, improved
gun, iomproved sights and some other systems. However despite all
improvements the Polish Leopard 2PL is not as capable as the
upgraded
Leopard 2A7 upgraded by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, which entered
service with the German Army in 2014. The Leopard 2PL looses to
Leopard 2A7 in the key areas of protection, firepower, accuracy, and
onboard electronic systems.
The Polish
Leopard 2PL has improved armor protection. An Advanced Modular Armor
Protection (AMAP) composite armor kit, developed by the IBD
Deusebroth company of Germany, was
fitted to the turret. This armor is a part of Rheinmetall Revolution
upgrade package. It uses new nano-ceramics materials and modern
titanium and steel alloys. This armor provides higher level of
protection against wide range of threats. Up-armored turret of the
Leopard 2PL offers higher protection than turret of the Leopard 2A5,
however it can not match protection level of the Leopard 2A7. The
armor kit is modular, so damaged armor modules can be replaced in
field conditions. It is planned that the AMAP armor modules will be
produced in Poland under license.
The Leopard
2PL MBT is
only slightly heavier than its predecessor. It weights 60 t,
comparing with 56.6 t of the original Leopard 2A4. Around 3 t of
add-on armor were added to the turret front and sides. However no
armor was added to the hull in order to keep the weight within the
60 t limit,
which was set by the Polish Army. Some sources report that armor was
also added to the hull floor in order to improve protection against
landmines and improvised explosive devices. Otherwise hull armor was
not improved in any way. Furthermore Polish Leopard 2A4 tanks have
hulls made in the early 1980s. It seems that these hulls will not
withstand modern APFSDS ammunition. Crew members of the Leopard 2PL are seated
on new shock-proof seats. The tank is also fitted with more
efficient automatic fire suppression system.
The Leopard
2PL tank retains a 120 mm/L44 smoothbore gun of its predecessor.
However the gun was modified by Rheinmetall to be compatible with
newly-developed high pressure ammunition, such as programmable DM11
high-explosive air-burst ammunition, and high power DM53 and DM63
armor-piercing rounds. The programmable rounds enable to engage targets behind cover and
within buildings. These multi-purpose DM11 rounds can be also used
against enemy troops, armored vehicles and low-flying helicopters.
The gun can also fire any other standard NATO 120 mm tank
ammunition. The gun is loaded
manually by the loader. A total of 42 rounds are carried
inside the tank. 15
rounds are stored in the turret bustle and are ready to use.
Remaining rounds are stored inside the hull. The turret bustle is
separated from the crew compartment and has a blow-out panels.
Hydraulic
drives of the turret were replaced with electric drives. Such
upgrade significantly improves post-penetration survivability, as
the hydraulic drives contain flammable liquid.
Secondary
armament consists of a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun. There is another
7.62 mm machine gun mounted on top of the roof.
The Leopard
2PL has improved sights and fire control system. The commander uses panoramic sight, which
is fitted with a Polish-made thermal imager and includes a laser
rangefinder. Commander's station is equipped with a number of
digital screens, that display different information.
It looks
like the Leopard 2PL has got a hunter-killer engagement capability,
which is present on all modern main battle tanks. The commander uses
his panoramic sight to search for targets. Once the target is
selected the gun is laid on the target automatically and the gunner
completes al the aiming and firing process. During that time
commander looks for the next target. Such target engagement method
allows to acquire and engage targets faster.
The driver
received a new night vision sight for driving at night and a rear
vision camera, which makes driving backwards much easier.
Despite all improvements
communication systems of the Leopard 2PL remain unchanged. This tank
also lacks battlefield management system.
This main
battle tank is operated by a crew of 4, including commander, gunner,
loader and driver.
The Leopard
2PL retains the engine of its predecessor. It is powered by an MTU
MB 873 Ka501 turbocharged diesel engine, developing 1
500 hp. This tank is also fitted with Steyr Auxiliary Power Unit (APU),
which powers all systems, when the main engine is turned off. The
same APU is used on the
Leopard 2A7. Cross-country performance is similar to that of its
predecessor. This tank can be fitted
with a deep wading kit and ford shallow rivers, lakes and other
water obstacles up to 4 m deep.
|