In Development: Leopard 2A4 Evolution

In th? l?t? 2000s ?n? ???l? 2010s, th? ???win? ??s?l?sc?nc? ?? C?l? W?? t?nks, ?s??ci?ll? in th? ???t?cti?n ?i?l?, s???k?? ? n?w ??iv? t? ?????c? int???stin? ??m?? kit ???????s t? ?xistin? v?hicl?s. Whil? th? ??st-kn?wn ??????? ??????ms ??n???ll? ??l?n? t? S?vi?t v?hicl?s, s?ch ?s th? T-72, ? n?m??? ?? c?mm??ci?ll? ?v?il??l? ??????? kits ??? NATO MBTs ???????? in th? w?st.

L?????? 2 Ev?l?ti?n

On? t?nk in ?i?? n??? ?? ??????in? w?s ?n? still is th? L?????? 2A4. Th? L?????? 2A4 v??i?nt (??, m??? s??ci?ic?ll?, th? ?l??? L?????? 2 v??i?nts ???????? t? 2A4 st?n????) is ??ssi?l? th? m?st c?mm?n L?????? 2 ?x???t v??i?nt ????n? ?n? w?s ?ntil ??c?ntl? ?v?n ?s?? in c?m??t ?? T??k?? ???inst th? Isl?mic St?t? t?????ists ?n? K???ish s?????tists in S??i?. S?v???l w??? l?st t? ?nti-t?nk ??i??? missil?s, ?lth???h wh?th?? th?t w?s ??? t? th?i? ??s?l?sc?nc? ?? ??? t? ???? t?ctics is ? m?tt?? ?? ????t?. In ?n? c?s?, th? ?????ti?n?l ?s? ?? th?s? v?n????l? m?chin?s ?i? hi?hli?ht th?i? w??kn?ss?s – ??t?? ?ll, th? ?i?st L?????? 2A4s ??ll?? ??t ???m th? ?ss?m?l? lin?s ?s ???l? ?s 1985.

T??kish L?????? 2A4 in S??i?, 2016

On? w?? t? ??????? th? L?????? 2A4 ??t?nti?l w?s ???iti?n?l ??m?? ?l?n? with ?th?? it?ms ?? th? L?????? 2A5 ??????m s?ch ?s:

N?w int??n?l s??ll lin??, ???t?ctin? th? c??w ???inst s?lint??s

N?w ?l?ct?ic ??n c?nt??l m?ch?nism ?n? st??iliz??

M??i?i?? PERI-R17 c?mm?n???’s si?ht with ? th??m?l im???? (PERI-R17A2/TIM)

R?is?? EMES 15 ?i?? c?nt??l s?st?m ??siti?n, th? EMES 15 FCS h??sin? ??c?iv?? ???iti?n?l ??m??

M?n? c??nt?i?s ??t?? t? ??????? th?i? L?????? 2A4s t? th? 2A5 st?n????, st??tin? ???m th? ???l?-mi? 1990s ?ll th? w?? t? 2005. Th? ??v?l??m?nt th?n c?ntin??? with th? L?????? 2A6 v??i?nt ?n?, ?ltim?t?l?, th? L?????? 2A7.

 

H?w?v??, th? “???ici?l” G??m?n ??????? is n?t th? ?nl? thin? ?v?il??l? ?n th? m??k?t. IBD D?is?n??th ?nv?il?? its ?wn c?mm??ci?l ??m?? ??????? in 2007. This ??????? ??ck w?s c?ll?? Ev?l?ti?n. Th? ??v?l??m?nt l?t?? ??ss?? ?n t? Rh?inm?t?ll ?n? th? l?t?? v??i?nts w??? ???????? t? ?s R?v?l?ti?n. Ev?l?ti?n ?n? R?v?l?ti?n w??? ??th s??ci?ic?ll? int?n??? t? ??????? th? L?????? 2A4. A simil?? ??????? kit int?n??? ??? ?th?? L?????? 2 v??i?nts, c?ll?? Ev?l?ti?n II, w?s ?nv?il?? in 2012.

L?????? 2SG

N?t t?? m?ch is kn?wn ????t th? Ev?l?ti?n kit ?n? its ???iv?tiv?s. Th? ???l ?? th? A?v?nc?? M???l?? A?m?? P??t?cti?n (AMAP) ??m?? (??v?l???? ?? IBD D?is?n??th) is t? ??????? ? v?hicl? ??? l?w-int?nsit? c?n?licts (m?ch lik? th? ?????ti?n in S??i?) ?? m?kin? it m??? ??sist?nt t? in??nt??-c???i?? th???ts, incl??in? s?m? mi?-??n?? ?nti-t?nk ??i??? missil?s.

Ev?l?ti?n ??m?? is m???l?? ?n? c?n ?? ???????? ????n?in? ?n th? int?nsit? ?? th? c?n?lict. Th? ???iti?n?l ??m?? ?l?cs c?nsist ?? c?m??sit?s (?l?min?m-tit?ni?m ?ll??s, st??l ?ll??s ?n? c???mics), ?lth???h ?x?ct ??????m?nc? is n?t???ll? cl?ssi?i??. Th? ??m?? c?v??s th? ???nt?l h?l? ?? th? v?hicl? ?n? m?st ?? th? t????t – in ?th?? w???s, th? m?st ?x??s?? ???ts. An?th?? im???t?nt, ?l??it ??ti?n?l, ???t ?? th? ??ck??? is th? ???iti?n?l ?nti-min? ?n? ?nti-IED ???t?cti?n in th? ???m ?? ?xt?? ??tt?m ?l?tin?. Th? kit ?ls? c?m?s with ? Rh?inm?t?ll ROSY (R??i? O?sc??in? S?st?m) sm?k? ???n??? ?isch?????, c????l? ?? l??in? ??wn ? sm?k? ????i?? in ?n??? ? s?c?n?.

 

Th? w?i?ht ?i? inc???s? ???m s?m? 56 t?ns t? 60 t?ns (????n?in? ?n th? c?n?i????ti?n), ??t th?t’s n?thin? th? ??w????l 1500h? MB837 K?-501 ?i?s?l c?n’t h?n?l?. Th? v?hicl? ??n???ll? ??t?ins its ??i?in?l ?i????w?? in th? ???m ?? th? ??ll?-st??iliz?? 120mm L/44 Rh?inm?t?ll sm??th???? c?nn?n, c????l? ?? ?i?in? st?n???? NATO ???n?s. This ??n c?n ?? ???????? t? th? L/55, ??t th?t is ??n???ll? n?t in th? s?i?it ?? th? Ev?l?ti?n ??????? – th?t ?xt?? t?nk-killin? ??nch is n?t ???ll? n?c?ss??? in l?w-int?nsit? c?n?licts ?n? h?vin? ? l?n??? ?????l ?ct??ll? m?k?s ?n? t?nk h????? t? ?s? in ????n ?nvi??nm?nts.

L?????? 2RI

Th??? ??? c????ntl? tw? Ev?l?ti?n c?st?m??s. Th? Sin???????n ??m? ???ch?s?? 94 L?????? 2A4 MBTs ???m G??m?n? ??tw??n 2006 ?n? 2009 ?n? h?? th?m ???????? with Ev?l?ti?n (AMAP) ??m??, ??s?ltin? in th? L?????? 2SG v??i?nt.

 

Th? s?c?n? c?st?m?? is In??n?si?. In 2014, ?n In??n?si?n L?????? 2A4 v??i?nt with m??? ??v?nc?? R?v?l?ti?n ??m?? in AMAP-B c?n?i????ti?n (kn?wn ?s L?????? 2RI) w?s int????c?? t? th? ???lic ?t th? E???s?t??? ?x??. Whil? th? E???s?t??? ???t?t??? w?s ???i???? with ? l?t ?? ???iti?n?l ???i?m?nt s?ch ?s ROSY sm?k? ???n??? l??nch??s ?n? ?xt?? min? ???t?cti?n, th? ?in?liz?? v??si?n ??? In??n?si? ?nl? h?s s?m? ?? th?t ?xt?? kit, incl??in?:

Ai? c?n?iti?nin?

El?ct?ic t????t ??iv? ???l?cin? th? ?l? h?????lic ?n?

Im???v?? ??n ??c?il ???k?s (?n??lin? th? ??n t? th? n?w?st hi?h-???ss??? ?mm?niti?n)

Im???v?? Fi?? C?nt??l S?st?m (?n??lin? th? ??n t? ?i?? ??????mm??l? ?mm?niti?n)

In??n?si? ??????? 61 ?? th?s? m?chin?s ???m G??m?n? with th? ?i?st v?hicl?s ???ivin? in A???st 2016. D?liv??? ?? th? v?hicl?s, ?l?n? with ?th?? G??m?n ???i?m?nt, s?ch ?s th? M????? IFVs ?n? 42 L?????? 2A4+ t?nks, w?s c?m?l?t?? in M??ch 2017. It’s w??th n?tin? th?t th? L?????? 2A4+ is ? L?????? 2A4 with ?ll th? ???v? m?nti?n?? ???????s min?s th? ??m?? kit.