European manufacturers have presented promising tanks
MOSCOW, June 30 — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. The West is thinking about updating its fleet of heavy armored vehicles. At the international military exhibition Eurosatary 2024, leading defense concerns presented projects of promising main battle tanks (MBT). About the features of armored novelties — in the material of RIA Novosti.
The new "Leopard"
Russia's special military operation in Ukraine has demonstrated both the advantages and disadvantages of the main battle tanks of the Western school. Powerful guns, excellent optics — European and American cars have always been famous for this. But the Leopards-2, Abrams and Challenger-2 proved to be too heavy for most types of soil. Also, as it turned out, they are vulnerable not only to factory-made barrage munitions such as Lancets, but also to artisanal cheap FPV drones.
Destroyed Leopard Tank
Image source: © 114th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade
As a result, these tanks are mostly used as armored howitzers operating from closed firing positions. In fairness, it should be noted that Russian ones are often used in the same way. And the monstrous "tsar-mangaly" machines, hung with additional armor plates on all sides, somehow protecting against the ubiquitous UAVs, are going to storm and support the infantry in the offensive.
The EU has drawn conclusions and is trying to eliminate the identified shortcomings in promising developments. Thus, the Franco-German KNDS group of arms companies presented a new version of the Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 main battle tank at Eurosatary.
Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 tank at Eurosatory 2024
Image source: © AFP 2024 / JULIEN DE ROSA
The combat weight is ten percent less than that of the original Leopard 2 A7, weighing 60 tons. To do this, the tower was made uninhabited and less armored — the crew is located deep in the hull. Accordingly, the height decreased to 2.44 meters.
A-RC 3.0 is the first in the Leopard 2 family with automatic charging (AZ). According to the developers, thanks to the innovative ammunition supply system, the rate of fire will increase to three shots in ten seconds. The crew will be reduced to three people, since there is no need for a loader. Ammunition — up to 42 shells, depending on the type of gun. KNDS offers the customer three guns to choose from — 120, 130 and 140 mm caliber. This reflects the Western trend towards larger projectiles to increase range and penetration.
Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 tank at Eurosatory 2024
Image source: © AFP 2024 / JULIEN DE ROSA
To protect against drones, it is planned to introduce modern electronic warfare equipment into the design. Also, the new Leopard will receive a remotely controlled turret on a turret with a 30-millimeter rapid-fire cannon and an automatic target tracking system. The developers claim that during the tests it demonstrated good results in destroying small-sized UAVs.
For active protection, there is an APS system capable of intercepting flying projectiles.
The tank is quite fast: the 1,500 horsepower engine accelerates it to 65 kilometers per hour. With full tanks, the power reserve on the road is 460 kilometers. A fully functioning demonstration sample of a promising machine is going to be shown in two years.
Two-caliber "Frenchman"
In addition, KNDS demonstrated a mock—up of an upgraded French tank, the Leclerc Evolution. The main feature is the ASCALON 120—millimeter cannon with a barrel length of 58 calibers and a replaceable barrel that allows firing 140-millimeter shells. The replacement of the gun, as they say, takes only 25 minutes. This significantly increases the versatility of the machine.
Leclerc Evolution tank at Eurosatory 2024
Image source: © AFP 2024 / JULIEN DE ROSA
KNDS emphasizes that the ASCALON cannon is significantly superior to the 120-millimeter guns of the previous generation. The energy of impact on the target will exceed ten megajoules. There is also a 22-charge automatic loader in the double tower.
Additional armament is a 30—millimeter anti-drone cannon, as well as a launcher for barrage ammunition, which allows you to fight targets outside the line of sight.
The commander's panoramic sight and the gunner's sight work even at night. New armor, interchangeable chassis protection systems and an unnamed active protection complex will significantly increase the survivability of the crew. An electronic warfare system will be installed on the tower to suppress unmanned aerial vehicles.
Engine power is 1,500 horsepower, speed is up to 68 kilometers per hour on the road, power reserve is 470 kilometers, ground clearance is 475 millimeters.
The project is under active development. But the prospects are vague: tanks are not a priority for the command of the French army right now.
A promising "Panther"
Rheinmetall has once again brought the promising KF41 Panther, named after the medium tank of the Wehrmacht during World War II. The Leopard 2A7 served as the basis. The Panther inherited from it the design of the tower and several elements of the hull. But it weighs less — 59 tons.
The promising German KF51 Panther tank
Image source: © Rheinmetall
The MBT is armed with a 130 mm Future Gun System (FGS) cannon with a built-in automatic loader (ammunition in the charger is 20 shells). Rheinmetall claims that this gun is 50 percent more powerful than the standard 120-millimeter in NATO. The FGS is capable of firing both armor-piercing sub-caliber shells and high-explosive fragmentation shells with the option of a programmable explosion in flight. The range is about five kilometers.
The auxiliary armament is a 12.7mm heavy machine gun paired with a cannon and a 7.62mm remote—controlled machine gun. In addition, HERO 120 Loitering barrage ammunition can be fired from the tower. Each of these kamikaze drones carries a high-explosive or cumulative warhead weighing 3.5 kilograms. The range is up to 40 kilometers. There are also two reconnaissance quadrocopters in special compartments on the roof.
The Panther is stuffed with the most modern electronics. A multi—channel sight with a thermal imaging channel and a laser rangefinder in the frontal part of the tower - like the Leopard 2. For the tank commander, there is a panoramic surveillance device that helps to detect and identify targets and fire. They also implemented the principle of "hunter — shooter", when one crew member marks the target and the other hits.
In general, European arms manufacturers have more than ambitious plans. However, it is unlikely that promising tanks will go into a large series. Firstly, they are very expensive. Secondly, the European defense industry is not ready for mass production, and it is already breathing hard after abandoning cheap Russian energy resources. And as the experience of its own has shown, several dozen tanks will not make special weather in a large-scale conflict. The God of war is still on the side of the big battalions.
