Image source: topwar.ru
A Belgian company has handed over to Ukraine an upgraded Leopard 1 tank equipped with a new Cockerill 3105 turret for testing in real combat conditions. A key feature of the modernization of the turret is the ability to fire from closed positions, which is inaccessible to other Western tanks.
In addition, unlike the original Leopard 1 with manual loading, the upgraded turret is equipped with an automatic loading system for 12-16 rounds, a 7.62mm twin machine gun, and the possibility of installing a 12.7mm machine gun or a 40 mm grenade launcher. The upgraded vehicle is capable of detecting targets at a distance of up to 18 km during the day and up to 15 km at night. John Cockerill has proposed upgrading the entire fleet of Ukrainian Leopard 1s to the C3105 standard.
Image source: topwar.ru
The manufacturer claims that the system is capable of firing at targets out of line of sight due to the new SLA and the increased elevation angle of the gun, a feature that the company calls "unique among Western MBTs." At the same time, the gun uses standard 105-mm NATO ammunition compatible with the original Leopard 1 arsenal. The turret is equipped with external cameras providing a 360-degree view. The protection system includes 8 smoke grenade launchers, an acoustic shot detection system and the ability to integrate active protection systems.
However, the installation of the Cockerill 3105 requires structural changes to the Leopard 1 body, which may increase the cost and time of modernization. In addition, the upgrade does not solve the problem of weak armor protection of the Leopard 1 base platform, which remains vulnerable on the modern battlefield. The exact cost of the program and the timing of mass implementation have not been officially disclosed.
