War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

FlaRakPz 1

2020-06-22T08:15:48Z

U39351509: Added specific engine type and source for engine

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_flarakpz_1}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat?''

''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 852|rbMinHp= 531|}}
The FlaRakPz1 is powered by a MTU (Motoren- und Turbinen-Union Friedrichshafen GmbH or MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH in 2001+) MB 833 Ea-500 that produces 441 kW (600 hp) at 2200 rpm

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===
''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''

== Usage in battles ==


;Arcade Battles

The {{PAGENAME}} does not have any additional armaments to attack other vehicles or protect itself, limiting its offensive ability towards even slightly-armoured targets. Due to this, moving any distance from the spawn point will result in death due to the thin armour and increased visibility, due to vehicle markers, making you an easy target. Both the Roland 1 and Roland 3 SAMs both have a maximum speed of 900 m/s, with payloads of 3.3 kg and 4.45 kg of Composition B respectably, more than enough to deal with the only aircraft type (helicopters) it will encounter in this game mode. Moving alongside allies or waiting in or near spawn areas - where you have the best view of the sky - will be rewarding as when engaging medium to heavily armoured units, the explosive mass of the missiles will be most useful in destroying or disabling targets, requiring knowledge of vulnerable spots on enemy vehicles to deliver a killing blow. Due to the large explosive mass of both missiles, it can hull-break light targets.

===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2"|Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="3"|Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
| Horizontal Drive
|
|
|-
| II
| Suspension
| Brake System
| FPE
| Roland 3
| Airstrike
|
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
| Smoke grenade
|
|-
| IV
| Transmission
| Engine
|
| Artillery Support
| Rangefinder
| Improved optics
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has Roland 3 missiles as a tier 2 modification, increasing the vehicle's offensive range to 8.5 km
* Roland 1 and Roland 3 missiles are reactive and manoeuvrable
* Active radar system with a scan range of 15 km
* Slightly higher-than-average max speed (70 km/h)

'''Cons:'''

* Significantly lower missile velocity compared to the ADATS (1200 m/s) and Stormer HVM (1400 m/s)
* Only two missiles available before a fixed-reload of 10.0 s
* Lack of additional armament for close-range or armoured targets

== History ==
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
* ''other literature.''
* https://mtu-online-shop.com/media/files_public/952ae139f0fae50b15702ddf661cad33/3061601_MTU_Defense_Brochure.pdf
{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}

TAM

2020-06-22T08:08:17Z

U39351509: Added specific engine type and source for that engine.

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_thyssen_henschel_tam}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg ‎|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (shortened to '''{{Specs|pseudonym}}''', English translated as: ''Argentine Medium Tank'') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German light tanks {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.81 "The Valkyries"]].

It's arguably the best BR 8.7 tank that Germany has to offer, with slightly better mobility than the A1A1 and the ability to scout. The minimal armour and hullbreak detract from it though. Similar to the A1A1, it shares a horrible stock grind against the hordes of new 8.7 premiums, but holds its own very nicely once APFSDS is unlocked.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

The armour is composed of welded steel, providing protection up to 32 mm.

The front can defend against 12.7 mm machine gun ammo, but the side armour is only proof against standard machine guns of 7.62 mm. However, most enemies that can be faced will usually have a 12.7 mm machine gun or larger in their possession, making it so even a burst of bullets could riddle the TAM with holes. With this in mind, take caution when flanking a tank with a disabled gun to get a side shot, as you can easily lose a few crew members to machine gunfire. This becomes less of an issue after unlocking the APFSDS round when side shots are rarely as necessary.

The TAM also is hull-breakable, and so rounds that hit have a chance of instantly destroying the vehicle.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 1116|rbMinHp= 637|}}

The mobility is not bad, with a max of 75 km/h (RB) on the road in forward and -50 km/h in reverse. Off-road mobility is quite average, especially on flat terrain, but there is a poor steering response.
The TAM is powered by a MTU (Motoren- und Turbinen-Union Friedrichshafen GmbH) MB 833 Ka-500 520 kW (720 hp) that produces a good 720 hp at 2400 rpm

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|FMK.4 Modelo 1L (105 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[FMK.4 Modelo 1L (105 mm)|105 mm FMK.4 Modelo 1L]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 50 || -7°/+18° || ±180° || Two-plane
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 22.8 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 14.28 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 8.7 || 7.7 || 7.1 || 6.7
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| DM13|| APDS || 303 || 302 || 296 || 277 || 257 || 252
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 337 || 335 || 330 || 322 || 314 || 306
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| DM13|| APDS || 1,478 || 4.00 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 75° || 78° || 80°
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 730 || 14.85 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 4,310 || +0° || 73° || 77° || 80°
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 1,173 || 10.50 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 1,270 || +0° || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 1,455 || 3.79 || N/A || N/A || N/A || ? || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity in m/s
! Projectile Mass in kg
! ''Screen radius in m''
! ''Screen time in s''
! ''Screen hold time in s:''
! ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
|-
| M416 || 730 || 11.4 || 20 || 5 || 25 || 50
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)}}

The TAM is equipped with two machine guns with a total of 4,000 rounds.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 2,000 (200) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Pintle mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 2,000 (200) || 60 || -__°/+__° || ±__°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The TAM could be played as an assassin, scout, or as a support vehicle on the battlefield. This variety of role is capable due to the powerful 105 mm cannon with an ammunition variety akin to the [[Leopard A1A1]], at the same time the thin armour prohibits any head-on combat which encourages fighting behind the front lines or from the flanks. Keep an eye out as an enemy that can be faced will be able to destroy the TAM if they so much as get a bead on with their armaments.

The best way to use the TAM is to exploit the scouting ability to mark enemies on the map, then call in friendlies to do the heavy fighting against them. While the team keeps the enemy busy, take pot shots with the 105 mm to also pick off the enemy as their attention is diverted from the TAM.
===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
! colspan="3" |Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|Laser rangefinder
|DM502
|-
|II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|Airstrike
|DM12
|-
|III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|M416
|NVD
|-
|IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|Smoke grenade
|Artillery Support
|Improved optics
|DM23
|-
|}
After Parts and FPE, the most important modules are the DM23 shell and the NVD upgrade. After that, the focus should be on the Laser rangefinder or mobility upgrades, depending on personal preference.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Good firepower for such a light vehicle
* Very accurate gun, lands rounds with pinpoint accuracy
* Faster and more manoeuvrable than the Begleitpanzer 57
* Wide variety of ammo - APFSDS, APDS, HEAT-FS, HESH, and smoke shells
* Unlike other tanks, the gun doesn't bounce at high speed - very good stabilizator
* Commander's machine gun has a very high elevation limit, letting you shoot at planes and helicopters passing by
* Little armour sometimes lets you survive AP shots as they pass through the tank without dealing much damage
* Absurdly fast traverse and elevation rates
* Turret is on the back, by reversing out of cover, you don't expose the whole vehicle
* First ammo rack has more than enough shells for a battle
* Cheap repair cost

'''Cons:'''

* Very thin armour providing little to no protection
* Ammunition price is quite high (APFSDS shells are 600 Silver Lions each), each round fired from the TAM is much more expensive than the same shell from a Leopard A1A1
* Impossible to depress the gun when facing backwards
* Difficult stock grind due to incredibly high module costs
* Turret is on the back, in some situations, you will have to expose the whole tank to shoot, especially if you need gun depression (engine deck stops the gun from depressing)
* Unlike other German tanks, {{PAGENAME}} does not have a great zoom capability (just x8.00)

== History ==

During the 1960s, Argentina was looking far and wide for offers to update its ageing fleet of WW2-era tanks. After obtaining some vehicles, the U.S. refused to make further vehicle sales. This forced Argentina to shift their attention towards the European market, resulting in the purchase of a number of French AMX-13s and its variants.

In 1973 however, the Ministry of Defense drew up a set of requirements for a completely new combat vehicle that would be produced domestically and would to enter service by 1980. Despite knowing what they wanted, Argentinian engineers lacked the technical know-how in order to actually design and produce such a vehicle. Faced with this problem, the Argentinian government sought collaboration with a foreign company in order to design and build the vehicle they wanted. Eventually, a contracted was signed with the German Thyssen-Henschel company, a joint development effort soon ensued.

The TAM (Tanque Argentino Mediano, eng: Argentinian Medium Tank), as it would be designated, was based off the German Marder IFV and equipped with a modification of the British, the Royal Ordnance L7A3 cannon that was produced in Germany. The first two prototypes of the TAM were built in 1976 and 1977 respectively and underwent extensive testing over the course of two years.

After successfully passing testing, the TAM was put into mass production in 1979. The vehicles were armed with FMK.4 Modelo 1L cannons, which was a domestic licensed copy of the original German cannon. The government ordered 200 vehicles of the IFV variant. However, economic difficulties resulted in the order being only partially fulfilled before production was restarted later on. Argentina was also very keen on exporting the TAM to other countries, but despite interest and some contracts being signed, the TAM was never widely exported for various reasons.

A total of around 280 TAMs were built and most of them still serve in the Argentinian army, albeit with upgraded equipment. The TAM was never deployed in any combat operations to this date.

''- From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5740-development-tam-replacing-the-old-guard-en Devblog]''

== Media ==


;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:TAM.jpg|thumb|none|250px|]] </li>
</ul></div>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|XvCqay-RaPQ|'''The Shooting Range #123''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:10 discusses the TAM.}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==

* https://mtu-online-shop.com/media/files_public/952ae139f0fae50b15702ddf661cad33/3061601_MTU_Defense_Brochure.pdf
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5740-development-tam-replacing-the-old-guard-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> TAM - Replacing The Old Guard]
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5714-development-tam-and-m247-sergeant-york-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> TAM and M247 Sergeant York]

{{Germany light tanks}}

Gepard

2020-06-22T08:01:45Z

U39351509: Added the Specific engine type and source for that engine

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_flakpz_I_Gepard}}

== Description ==


[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{Break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft (SPAA) vehicle {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.63 "Desert Hunters"]]. An anti-aircraft vehicle based on the Leopard 1 chassis, it possesses 2x35mm Oerlikon KDA cannons with 340 rounds each (680 in total, in 2 continuous belts of ammunition, one for each cannon). As in real life, the Gepard is equipped with a radar that can track and calculate the lead necessary to effectively engage a target. This is represented in the game by the ability to lock onto a target and display an arcade-style lead indicator on the target when they are within effective range, a trait that all radar-guided SPAAs possess. This allows the 35 mm cannons, which have a tendency to cripple enemy plane and helicopters alike with a hit, to maximize its damage potential.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===


Common among almost all SPAAs, the Gepard's armour can only withstand heavy machine guns and aircraft cannons and such, even other SPAAs and light tanks will pose a threat. Having 30mm of armour at its thickest point, in the game, the Gepard can be hull broken by shells of a calibre of 75mm and higher.

[[File:X-RayImage TopView Gepard.jpg|thumb]]

The Gepard has a crew of 3, consisting of a gunner, a commander and a driver with the first 2 residing in the turret and the third in the hull. The ammunition is stored in its entirety in the turret basket, below the crew; in practice, the Gepard is rarely ammo racked, and most often it is your crew that will be knocked out or the tank being burned down by chemical munitions fired from enemy aircraft that it faces, such as helicopters and jet attack aircraft which are both a threat and a tricky target.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 30 (59°) ''Front glacis'' 30 mm (48°) ''Lower glacis'' || 25 mm (40-41°) ''Top'' 20 mm ''Lower'' || 20 mm (6°) ''Top'' 20 mm (49°) ''Bottom'' || 30 mm ''Driver/Co-driver port area'' 15 mm ''Everywhere else''
|-
| Turret || 25 mm (1-30°) || 20 mm ''Turret side'' 10 mm ''Cannon mounts'' || 20 mm (3°) || 15 mm
|-
|}

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 1179|rbMinHp= 734|}}

Having the chassis of the Leopard 1, the {{PAGENAME}} is almost identical in mobility to the MBT, possessing the same engine power, making it useful at capturing zones and getting out of harm's way.

Its top speed is 57 km/h forward and -22 km/h backwards, with acceleration time and neutral steering speed depending on the installed modules.
The engine is the same engine as in the ({Leopard 1}) its the MTU (Motoren- und Turbinen-Union Friedrichshafen GmbH) MB 838 CaM-500 610 kW (830 hp) it outputs this ammount of hp at 2200 rpm.

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===


{{main|Oerlikon KDA (35 mm)}}

The armament consists of 2x35mm Oerlikon KDA cannons with 340 RPG with a quick, fixed fire rate and can make use of 3 types of munitions :

* High-explosive incendiary tracer (self-destroying, note that the self-destruction range coincides with the radar's lead indicator maximum distance, making the shell inadequate at longer ranges)
* Armour-piercing incendiary tracer, which can be used against lightly armoured vehicles and enemy SPAAs, though the damage to enemy aircraft is reduced, the shell can be used outside radar range since it does not self destruct
* High-velocity armour-piercing tracer (APDS), which can be used against targets mentioned above and additionally, can be used to attack the side profile of enemy MBTs with reasonable effectiveness. Use against air targets is possible but the damage output is highly reduced.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Oerlikon KDA (35 mm)|35 mm Oerlikon KDA cannon]] (x2) || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 680 (340) || rowspan="2" | 550 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+85° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 79.3 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || rowspan="2" | 1.3 || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | 1
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 53.5 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|}

=== Ammunition ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Belt Composition
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! style="width:4em" |10m
! style="width:4em" |100m
! style="width:4em" |500m
! style="width:4em" |1000m
! style="width:4em" |1500m
! style="width:4em" |2000m
|-
| Default || API-T, HEI-T* || 67 || 64 || 52 || 39 || 30 || 23
|-
| 35x228 MSB/K || HEI-T*, HEI-T*, HEI-T*, API-T || 67 || 64 || 52 || 39 || 30 || 23
|-
| 35x228 PSBH/B || API-T, API-T, API-T, HEI-T* || 67 || 64 || 52 || 39 || 30 || 23
|-
| 35x228 PKLH || APDS, APDS, APDS, APDS || 112 || 110 || 101 || 90 || 71 || 62
|}

===Belt types===
{| class="wikitable"
| '''Belts''' || '''Shell composition''' || '''Combat usage'''
|-
| align="left" |'''''Default ''''' || align="left" | API-T — HEI-T*|| align="left" |
|-
| align="left" |'''''Sprgr.''''' || align="left" | HEI-T* — HEI-T* — HEI-T* — API-T || align="left" |
|-
| align="left" |'''''PzGr''''' || align="left" | API-T — API-T — API-T — HEI-T* || align="left" |
|-
| align="left" |'''''PzGr 40''''' || align="left" | APDS — APDS — APDS — APDS || align="left" |
|}

=== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] ===
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|x250px|right|thumbnail|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] for the Flakpanzer I Gepard.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''680''' || 0 ''(+680)'' || style="text-align:left" | no
|-
|}

Rack empties when all rounds are spent

===Radars===
{{main|MPDR 12|Albis}}
The Gepard is equipped with a [[MPDR 12]] search radar and an [[Albis]] tracking radar. Both radars are located on the turret, the MPDR 12 is mounted at the rear of the turret and folds back when not in use, the Albis is mounted on the front of the turret. The radar system is capable of tracking a target while scanning, but can only track targets within a 200° arc from the front of the turret.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="5" | [[MPDR 12]] - Target Detection Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Detection Range|The maximum possible range at which a target can be detected}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Detection Range|The range, below which, a target cannot be detected}}
! {{Annotation|Max Azimuth Scan Angle|How far to each side the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
! {{Annotation|Max Elevation Scan Angle|How far up and down the radar can scan (widest search mode)}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum relative speed|The minimum speed a target must be moving, relative to the radar, in order to be detectable by the radar}}
|-
| 15,000 m || 500 m || 360° || ??? || 10 m/s (36 km/h)
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Albis]] - Target Tracking Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum target speed|The minimum speed a target must be moving, relative to the radar, in order to be tracked by the radar}}
|-
| 15,000 m || 75 m || ±100° || -20°/+85° || 15 m/s (54 km/h)
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Gepard performs best when stalking enemy aircraft, scanning the sky for a target and waiting until it gets in range of the radar, and only attacking when the radar can provide a lead estimation, thus preserving ammunition which is critical since the cannons will expend it quickly in combat situations. Helicopters will more than often chose to keep a reasonable distance, usually outside your radar's range but this can be countered by using the API-T rounds in short burst until the range of the enemy has been deduced, it only takes a few rounds to destroy an enemy aircraft.

Engaging ground vehicles comes with the risk of being destroyed without doing any significant damage so weigh your options carefully, unsuspecting light tanks are fair game but most tanks will pose a threat even when attacking their side without the appropriate ammunition belts.

Capturing points is also an option thanks to the good mobility of the vehicle, although you will have to make sure the capture point is clear and there is no risk of being attacked by an enemy tank.

Against enemy threats:

* Arcade: Keep your head on a swivel, and when enemies start air battles be prepared to react very soon; jets can reach the battle in seconds. Try to fire as soon as the enemy reaches within 2 kilometres, any closer and you risk the aircraft being able to open fire on you or even ram you and induce Hull Break. Helicopters should be treated with a similar deal of respect, so try to limit the amount of time they have within firing range by coating them in a blank of anti-air fire as soon as the lead indicator appears.

* Realistic/Simulator: If using the Gepard in higher rank games, be mindful of aircraft such as the [[AH-1Z]] and [[FJ-4B VMF-232]]. Their long-range guided missiles allow them to attack you outside of the range of your lead indicator or even out of the range of your guns themselves. Stay hidden until they draw closer, and then attempt to "ambush" them as they are pre-occupied attacking other allies. Stay away from common traffic areas if your only goal is to take out these aircraft, and try to sneak as close as possible to them so that you can re-acquire the lead indicator. Thanks to the fact the Gepard is vulnerable to being Hull Broken, it only takes a missile landing near to completely disable the anti-aircraft vehicle.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Has the mobility of the Leopard tank, though the increased weight is noticeable
* Very fast turret rotation
* Good stock grind thanks to its already good gun handling
* Can penetrate many tanks from the side even with its default belt
* High penetration with DM23 belt that is also cheaper to restock than other belts
* Twin 35 mm cannons are very deadly against both aircraft and tanks with a high rate of fire and accuracy
* Has stabilizer - can shoot targets while on the move, air and ground ones alike
* Good amount of ammo in reserve
* Search and tracking radars, the search radar finds targets while the tracking radar gives a very accurate lead indicator
* Search radar dish can be folded when not in use to reduce vehicle height and visibility
* Low repair cost in RB and SB
* Low spawn point cost in RB

'''Cons:'''

* Relatively high profile, and a spinning radar dish atop the vehicle
* Very thin armour that can be easily destroyed with hull-break
* Cannons are mounted on the sides of the turret that can make shooting weak spots at close range almost impossible
* Relatively low rate-of-fire compared to the [[M163]] and [[ZSU-23-4]]
* Incredibly long reload time when all ammo is expended
* Can only take 40 x DM23s to battle, must be fired very carefully
* Expensive unlockable ammo belts (except the DM23 belt)
* High repair cost in AB

== History ==


===Development===
Development began on a dedicated self-propelled anti-aircraft gun for the German Bundeswehr in the 1960s. The first pilot models were produced in 1969 testing 30 and 35 mm autocannons for the armament. The decision to use a 35 mm autocannon as the basis of the anti-aircraft armament came on 25 June 1970. In 1971 the second phase of pilot models was tested, the Dutch Army expressed interest in the project and ordered a few models once completed. It was around this phase that the [[Leopard I|Leopard 1]] was chosen as the chassis of the vehicle, and a modified variant was produced. In September 1973, the order was made to Krauss-Maffei manufacturer to produce 432 turret and 430 hulls. The Bundeswehr accepted the vehicle as to the '''Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard''' (''Anti-aircraft cannon tank "Cheetah"''), or better known as the '''Flakpanzer Gepard'''. At least 430 Flakpanzer Gepard units were produced in total from 1973 onwards.

===Design===
The Flakpanzer Gepard uses the 35 mm Oerlikon KDA autocannon, which was a dual-mounted cannon that each can fire around 550 rounds per minute. The Gepard has a search radar on the back, a tracking radar in front, and a laser range finder in the front to track air targets. The Flakpanzer Gepard uses a modified Leopard chassis, modified by different wheel spacing and battery placement. The vehicle was powered by a multi-fuel engine capable of pumping around 819 horsepower. There was also an auxiliary engine that powers the turret functions so the main engine can run the vehicle unhindered by additional energy requirement. The Gepard as a whole actually cost three times more than a standard Leopard 1 tank, possibly due to all the guidance system and radars needed to make the Gepard an effective anti-aircraft gun.

===Usage===
The Gepard entered service in the German Bundeswehr in 1973 and made up a core of West Germany's anti-aircraft power. The Gepard was constantly upgraded with better guidance systems and other electronic hardware. From the 1980s onward, the Gepard units were attached to Stinger surface-to-air missile systems to exploit the Gepard's extended tracking system to locate targets for the Stingers. A proposal was made to combine these two units into one vehicle with a dual Stinger launcher mounted onto a Gepard, but budget restrictions prevented this. The Flakpanzer Gepard still sees use today in the storage of the Bundeswehr, although in reduced numbers from 377 originally to just 94. They are expected to be replaced by the SysFla project, which is a stationary and mobile platform armed with the MANTIS gun system and the new LFK NG missiles.

The Gepards were successful in the export market. The first to order were Belgium and the Dutch, 55 and 95 units respectively. When the Bundeswehr started the downsize their forces, their Gepards were sold to various countries such as Brazil, Romania, and Chile; though Chile returned their Gepards due to the high costs maintaining them. The Dutch also sold 60 of their surplus stock to Jordan. Belgium and the Dutch have recently withdrawn the Gepards from military service.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=spaa&vehicle=germ_flakpz_I_Gepard '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the Gepard from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:GarageImage Gepard (2).jpg|thumb|none|300px|]] </li>
</ul></div>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|1R9OL0Hf-yw|'''The Shooting Range #33''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:30 discusses the Gepard.}}

== See also ==


* [[Leopard I]]

'''Similar SPAAs:'''

* [[ZSU-23-4]]
* [[Chieftain Marksman]]
* [[Type 87]]
* [[M163]]

== External links ==

* https://mtu-online-shop.com/media/files_public/952ae139f0fae50b15702ddf661cad33/3061601_MTU_Defense_Brochure.pdf
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/4241-development-flakpz-i-gepard-the-second-and-last-of-its-name-en/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Flakpanzer I Gepard - The second and last of its name]

{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}

Leopard 2A5

2020-06-22T07:48:01Z

U39351509: Changed source from Mobility to External Links

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_leopard_2a5}}
{{About
| about = medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = Leopard (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. 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 ===
[[File:Leopard 2A5 armour scheme.png|thumb|The frontal KE protection of the Leopard 2A5 against CL1343 at 500 m.]]

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.
[[File:Leopard 2A5 CE armour scheme.png|thumb|The frontal CE protection of the Leopard 2A5 against MIM-146.]]
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.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!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
! colspan="2" |Front
! colspan="2" |Sides
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|Hull
| colspan="2" |'''''Upper+Lower glacis''''' 400 mm ''Kinetic'' 600 mm ''Chemical''
| colspan="2" | N/A
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|Turret
| colspan="2" | '''''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''

| colspan="2" | '''''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 ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 2032|rbMinHp= 1327|}}

The only drawback compared to the previous model would be the {{PAGENAME}}'s mobility since despite the 4 tons increase in weight, the engine remains the same, so the {{PAGENAME}} is both slower and less manoeuvrable compared to the [[Leopard 2A4]], but it can still keep up with the other nations MBTs.
The engine remains the same MTU (MOTOREN-UND TURBINEN-UNION FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH) MB 873 Ka-501 engine which produces 1500hp (1100KW) at 2600 RPM.

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{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 [[M1A2 Abrams]], [[Challenger 2]] and [[T-80U]].

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)|120 mm Rheinmetall L44]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 42 || -9°/+20° || ±180° || Two-plane
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 38.0 || 52.7 || 64.0 ||70.8
| 75.2
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 7.8 ||6.9||6.4||6.0
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 410 || 408 || 401 || 393 || 384 || 376
|-
| DM12A1 || HEATFS ||480||480||480||480||480||480
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 481 || 478 || 470 || 461 || 450 || 440
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''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|Ammo racks]] =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''42''' || 16 ''(+26)'' || 1 ''(+41)'' || style="text-align:left" | No
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG 3A1]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 4,500 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Pintle mount (Loader)''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 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, but try keep your turret protected as well, so then the armour package could last longer throughout the battle.
* ''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. Try also make use of hull down positions whilst sniping.
* ''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.
* ''Staying with nearby teammates:'' Try and stick to nearby teammates as this can improve your lifespan throughtout the game.

===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
! colspan="3" |Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|DM12A1
|
|-
|II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|
|
|-
|III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|Smoke grenade
|NVD
|-
|IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|
|Artillery Support
|DM33
|Laser rangefinder
|-
|}
The first modifications to research should be Parts and FPE. After that, aim for the NVD, DM33, Laser rangefinder, or mobility upgrades, depending on the desired playstyle.

=== 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, 3BM42 and CL3143
* 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 (Generation 2 for Binoculars, 800 x 600, and Generation 1 for Gunner's view, 500 x 300)

'''Cons:'''

* Lower glacis can still be penetrated by most shells (but is expected for most MBTs)
* 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
* 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 [https://warthunder.com/en/news/6098-development-leopard-2a5-this-time-we-are-dead-serious-en Devblog]''

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==


* [[Leopard 2A4]] - Preceding vehicle

== External links ==

* https://mtu-online-shop.com/media/files_public/952ae139f0fae50b15702ddf661cad33/3061601_MTU_Defense_Brochure.pdf
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/6098-development-leopard-2a5-this-time-we-are-dead-serious-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard 2A5: This Time We Are Dead Serious]

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Leopard 2A4

2020-06-22T07:47:18Z

U39351509: Changed source from mobilty to External Links

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_leopard_2a4}}
{{About
|about=medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage=other uses
|link=Leopard (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage {{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
The Leopard 2A4's kinetic protection is reasonable, with the turret cheeks near-invulnerable to all but the most powerful rounds (e.g. CL3143) and the upper front plate capable of protecting against less powerful rounds (e.g. M735) - however besides these sections the remainder of the vehicle is largely vulnerable to high-powered kinetic rounds; of note are the weak lower front plate and the gun mantlet, both of which are reasonably visible targets, as well as the gunner's optics. [[File:Leopard 2A4 Protection Density Visualisation.png|thumb|Leopard 2A4 [[Protection Density Visualisation]]]]
The vehicle sports significantly better all-round chemical protection, with an upper hull and turret essentially immune to all but the most powerful ATGMs frontally, with upwards of 800mm worth of equivalent protection in places. Despite this, it's advisable to be wary of incoming ATGMs as a well-placed round may sneak past the heavily protected areas - and some missiles such as those of the ADATS will slice straight through even the turret cheeks.

As with most other MBTs, the 2A4 is particularly vulnerable from the sides and back.

The Leopard 2A4 is reasonably survivable, with some degree of crew spacing. However, from certain angles, the crew are placed in a straight line and successful penetration may impact three of the four crew members, resulting in a crew knock-out. In addition, well-placed side shots may impact all three turret crew members.

Ammunition is stored in the primary ammunition storage in the rear of the turret, or in the secondary storage next to the driver. The primary rack provides crew protection through the use of blow-out panels, however only has space for 15 rounds. When more than 16 rounds are taken to battle, ammunition will be stored in the significantly more vulnerable hull rack.

The Leopard 2A4's protection proves acceptable for long-range combat, although it's ill-advised to remain in one location for any extended period of time to avoid opposing vehicles being able to hone their shots onto your weak spots. The 2A4's protection should not be relied upon in urban or other close-range environments.
{| class="wikitable"
!Armour
!Front (Slope angle)
!Sides
!Rear
!Roof
|-
|Hull
|35 mm (53-82°) ''Upper glacis'' 40 mm (50-51°) ''Lower glacis'' 30 mm (82°) ''Driver's hatch''
|10 mm (5°) ''Upper hull'' 35 mm (0°) ''Lower forward hull'' 20 mm (0°) ''Lower rear hull'' 5 mm (0°) ''Side Skirts'' 100 mm (0°) ''Composite screening''
|20 mm (12-50°) ''All rear''
|20 mm (0-8°) ''Hull roof incl. engine deck''
|-
|Turret
|35 mm (0-6°) ''Cheeks incl. Gunner optics'' 35 mm (1°) ''Mantlet'' 120 mm ''Rear Mantlet Plate''
|35 mm (0°) ''Forward'' 15 mm (0°) ''Rear''
|10 mm (10°) ''Basket'' 20 mm (70°) ''Turret underside''
|40 mm (82-85°) ''Forehead Armour'' 14 mm (72-77°) ''Forward sides'' 20 mm (89°) ''Rear turret incl. cupolas'' 5 mm (84°) ''Basket''
|-
!Composite armour
! colspan="2" |Front
! colspan="2" |Sides
|-
|Hull
| colspan="2" |'''''Upper+Lower glacis''''' 90 - 350 mm ''Kinetic'' 243 - 600 mm ''Chemical''
| colspan="2" |N/A
|-
|Turret
| colspan="2" |'''''Turret cheeks''''' 420 - 800 mm ''Kinetic'' 535 - 820 mm ''Chemical''

'''''Gun mantlet''''' 100 - 270 mm ''Kinetic'' 300 - 480 mm ''Chemical''
| colspan="2" |'''''Side armour'''''194 - 260 mm ''Kinetic'' 280 - 400 mm ''Chemical''
|}

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 2032|rbMinHp= 1327|}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is powered by a MTU (MOTOREN-UND TURBINEN-UNION FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH) MB 873 Ka-501 engine which produces a whopping 1500hp (1100KW), resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of slightly over 27 hp per tonne, comparable to the ratio of the early Abrams and identical to the T-80U. As such, the {{PAGENAME}} is quite mobile despite weighing over 55 tonnes, comfortably able to reach 72 km/h on-road and well capable of keeping up with its competitors. This allows for an active, aggressive playstyle, using the Leopard's high speed and good acceleration characteristics to get into an early flanking position or take early cap points - though it is important to keep in mind that opposition forces might attempt the same.

The {{PAGENAME}} has a maximum reverse speed of 31 km/h which it reaches easily, allowing for a quick retreat in sub-optimal situations.

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)}}The famous Rheinmetall L/44 120 mm cannon is mounted as the primary armament on the Leopard 2A4, offering a balance of firepower, accuracy and sustained rate of fire. The 2A4 has three rounds available to it: DM12 HEAT-FS, DM13 APFSDS and DM23 APFSDS. Of these, only DM12 is available when the vehicle is stock, with DM13 a tier 1 and DM23 a tier 4 modification. The L/44 is reasonably accurate at long range with any ammunition, however minor round deviation may be evident at extreme ranges (over 2000m).

It's advisable to primarily rely on the best available APFSDS round for engaging other MBTs, however retaining a couple of DM12 rounds can prove valuable for the hull break effect against lighter vehicles such as the ADATS.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)|120 mm Rheinmetall L44]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 42|| rowspan="2" | -9°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 38.0 || 52.7 || 64.0 ||51.1|| 75.2 || rowspan="2" | 7.8 || rowspan="2" | 6.9 || rowspan="2" | 6.4 || rowspan="2" | 6.0
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS ||480||480||480||480||480||480
|-
| DM13 || APFSDS || 393 || 390 || 384 || 376 || 367 || 359
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 410 || 408 || 401 || 393 || 384 || 376
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 1,140 || 13.5 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 1,640 || +0° || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
| DM13 || APFSDS || 1650 || 4.44 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 1640 || 4.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_Leopard_2A4.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the Leopard 2A4.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''42''' || 16 ''(+26)'' || 1 ''(+41)'' || style="text-align:left" | None
|-
|}
First stage only: 16 rounds (15 in rack + 1 in gun), stored within blow-out protected containment.

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)}}The 2A4 is equipped with one pintle-mounted machine gun and one coaxial machine gun. These can be used as an anti-air deterrent or for clearing out light obstacles and crew from open vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG3A1_(7.62_mm)|7.62 mm MG 3A1]]
|-
! Mount
! Capacity (Belt)
! Fire rate
! Vertical
! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4500 (1000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 2000 (1000) || 1,200 || -8°/+20° || ±120°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Leopard 2A4 may feel somewhat sluggish when stock, and the DM12 HEAT-FS round may appear to be relatively ineffective. Prior to researching improved rounds and engine modifications, it may be wise to play conservatively.

Once the vehicle's modifications are all researched, however, the 2A4 becomes significantly more mobile and has a competitive, albeit not impressive round in the DM23 APFSDS. The 2A4 can be used comfortably in both urban and rural environments, providing the vehicle's weaknesses are kept in mind. While it is capable in most forms of engagement, it does lack the precision of the British Challenger MBTs or the extreme round velocities of the Russian T-64/T-80 series. The 2A4 also has a particularly large and blocky profile, making for a particularly visible target in many situations.

Considering the above, a Leopard 2A4 player should utilise its great mobility and competitive gun to get into early positions to pick off unsuspecting targets, rather than attempting to engage opposing forces head-on.

===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="3" | Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
| Horizontal Drive
|DM13
|
|-
| II
| Suspension
|Brake System
| FPE
| Adjustment of Fire
|
|
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
|Smoke grenade
|NVD
|-
| IV
| Transmission
|Engine
|
| Artillery Support
|DM23
|Laser rangefinder
|-
|}
The first modifications to research should be Parts, FPE, and the DM13 round. After that, aim for the NVD, DM23, Laser rangefinder, or mobility upgrades, depending on the desired playstyle.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Powerful engine, high top speed and acceleration
* Good neutral steering system
* Good gunner sight magnification for long-range engagements
* Reasonably high velocity kinetic rounds
* Competitive DM23 APFSDS
* Turret armour can prove effective for hull-down engagements
* Primary ammunition is contained within a storage unit with blow-out panels

'''Cons:'''

* Hull armour is mediocre, particularly against kinetic rounds
* The stock DM12 HEAT-FS round can prove relatively ineffectual when compared to DM13/DM23, particularly against targets with ERA
* The gunner's optics are a weak spot, enemies who know how to aim can cripple your gun and kill your crew
* The gun mantlet is relatively weak while being quite prominent, penetration can disable the gun or knock turret crew out
* Secondary ammunition storage is extremely vulnerable, although this is avoidable by carrying no more than 16 rounds
* Both machine guns are relatively light calibre, suffer from mediocre gun elevation and will not prove to be much more an an annoyance to aircraft, particularly helicopters

== History ==

Based on the testing results gathered from the various different [[Leopard 2K]] prototypes, a new Leopard 2 prototype was constructed that would be more representative of the final version of the vehicle. Designated as Leopard 2AV, the new prototype featured a redesigned hull and turret over the Leopard 2K. Furthermore, the prototype was tested with two different cannons; the British [[L7A1 (105 mm)|L7 105mm]] rifled and the German [[Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)|Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore cannon]].

In 1976, the Leopard 2AV was sent overseas to the United States to be comparatively tested against the new American state-of-the-art [[XM-1 (Chrysler)|XM1 Abrams]]. During testing, the Leopard 2AV proved itself as a good counterpart to the Abrams, outperforming its competitor in terms of fire accuracy, whilst demonstrating somewhat inferior protection and gun handling. Upon arriving back to its homeland with positive testing results, the decision was made to begin mass production of the Leopard 2 in 1977.

The production version Leopard 2, however, differed from the AV prototype in receiving an increased level of protection before mass production began. Mass production of the Leopard 2 started in 1979 with the Leopard 2A0 forming the first batch that would enter service with the German Bundeswehr in late 1980.

Throughout the production period of the early Leopard 2 versions, modernization and upgrades were being applied on the assembly line in order to keep the newest Leopards up to the latest standards. These modernization efforts mostly involved the upgrading of internal modules such as the aiming and communications systems. As a result of this, all early Leopard 2s (A0-A4) were visually neigh identical to each other. The Leopard 2A4 was the final early Leopard 2 variant before the more advanced and heavily upgraded subsequent Leopard 2 versions made their appearance as part of a new wave of modernization efforts.

A total of 695 Leopard 2A4s were built out of the total of 2.125 early Leopard 2s that were manufactured between 1979 - 1991. The Leopard 2 and its variants served primarily with the German Bundeswehr, but a number of export vehicles were sold to nations world-wide, ranging from Canada and Chile, over Denmark and Austria to Greece and Turkey to name a few.

''-From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5539-development-leopard-2a4-setting-the-standard-en Devblog]''

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|akxAxhPBA3k|'''The Shooting Range #101''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:31 discusses the Leopard 2A4.|F1NXlu1h6s4|Leopard 2A4 Tank Review - War Thunder (AB) -By ''NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


* [[Leopard 2K]] - Preceding vehicle
* [[Leopard 2A5]] - Succeeding vehicle

== External links ==

* https://mtu-online-shop.com/media/files_public/952ae139f0fae50b15702ddf661cad33/3061601_MTU_Defense_Brochure.pdf
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5539-development-leopard-2a4-setting-the-standard-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard 2A4: Setting The Standard]

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Leopard I

2020-06-22T07:46:27Z

U39351509: Changed source from Ref to Sources. Where its supposed to be :)

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_leopard_I}}
{{About
| about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = Leopard (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_LeopardI.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.51 "Cold Steel"]].

The main strengths of the Leopard I are its high mobility and the above-average rate of fire of the main cannon. In combination with a good gun depression of -9° (meaning, you can lower the gun quite extensively), an experienced Leopard I driver can exploit uneven terrain to effectively fight his enemies without showing much of his vehicle - or being in the inconvenient situation to leave his cover to return fire.

The MG3A1 is rapid firing rifle calibre GPMG equipped in a coaxial and pintle mount, but otherwise of little use against armoured vehicles. The occasional open top SPAA can be harassed, although some of the crew won't be accessible without a good angle. Most annoying on the [[ZSU-57-2|ZSU-57]] with its tall crew shielding and more than 13 mm of armour. Therefore just above the machine gun's penetration ability at 10m.

Considering everything, the Leopard 1 is not a bad vehicle in the right hands - unfortunately, the lack of a stabilizer and extremely sub-par armour will result in many less experienced players struggling to perform well when many of their opponents will have better, often stabilised guns and armour

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

The Leopard's armour is not thick enough in the game to defend itself from most incoming fire, as many shell types at its battle rating are able to easily penetrate and destroy the tank. The Leopard 1 was originally built with a "perfect standard tank" idea, similar to the Main Battle Tank concept, as during its development, the armour has been considered an expendable quality and that superior speed and firepower is most important. Therefore the Leopard's armour design was only meant to withstand 20mm calibers from the front. A big threat is the [[ZSU-57-2|ZSU-57]], which gives any Leopard 1 a hard time with its high rate of fire of effective 57mm AP rounds.

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
*Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides (Slope angle) !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 70 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 50 mm (51°) ''Bottom glacis'' || 35 (40-42°) mm ''Top hull side'' 30 mm ''Bottom hull side'' || 25 mm (12-47°) || 30 mm ''Front area'' 15 mm ''Rear area''
|-
| Turret || 65 mm ''Turret front'' 45 - 200 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 37-45 mm (28-31°) || 25-52 mm (26-72°) || 25-35 mm ''Turret roof'' 20 mm ''Cupola area''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* The turret mantlet has varying thicknesses ranging from 45 - 200 mm. It is thickest near the centre in contrast to the borders where it is the thinnest.

=== Mobility ===
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |Game Mode
! colspan="2" |Max Speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" |Weight (tons)
! colspan="2" |Engine Power (Horsepower)
! colspan="2" |Power to Weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
!Forward
!Reverse
!Stock
!Upgraded
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|Arcade
|72
|28
| rowspan="2" |40
|1286
|1584
|32.15
|39.6
|-
|Realistic
|65
|25
|734
|830
|18.35
|20.75
|}

{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 1286|rbMinHp= 734|}}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|L7A3 (105 mm)}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L7A3 (105 mm)|105 mm L7A3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 60 || rowspan="2" | -9°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 22.85 || 31.62 || 38.40 || 42.46 || 45.18 || rowspan="2" | 8.7 || rowspan="2" | 7.7 || rowspan="2" | 7.1 || rowspan="2" | 6.7
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.4 || 22.60 || 24.00

|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| DM13 || APDS || 303 || 302 || 296 || 277 || 257 || 252
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| DM13 || APDS || 1478 || 5.8 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 75° || 78° || 80°
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 730 || 15 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 4,310 || +0° || 75° || 78° || 80°
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 1173 || 11 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 1,270 || +0° || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
|}

'''DM13 ''APDS''''' (Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot) will comfortably penetrate the armour of most foes; be aware however that some vehicles such as the IS-4 or M103 are only vulnerable in specific weak spots. APDS rounds do require some finesse with their placement, and because of the lack of explosive filler, unless you're confident you can destroy the enemy before they can respond, you should attempt to disable their weaponry first to ensure your own safety. Against targets with known ammunition storage, it's possible to try to detonate it with a well-placed shot; keep in mind, however, that ammo detonations always occur with a random chance, taking out crew members is more reliable to destroy your enemies. This, of course, requires knowledge about the vehicles you may face - so be sure to use the game's X-Ray view in the hangar and analyse your potential foes for their weak spots! Also, keep in mind that with increased armour thickness the amount of shrapnels shrinks.

'''DM12 ''HEAT-FS''''' (High-Explosive Anti Tank Fin Stabilised): Knowledge of potential opponents vehicle layouts can be very handy - as you now have a round at your disposal that can penetrate essentially any vehicle's armour frontally. Like the APDS shot, increased armour thickness results in a reduced amount of shrapnel after penetration. You are able to take out enemies on any distance since the HEAT round does not lose penetration effectiveness with distance - very handy on big scaled maps like Kursk. There is, however, a significant downside to HEATFS: Given that it is a chemical energy round, its fuse is highly sensitive in regards to its practical application in battle. As a result, virtually anything, such as trees or even a fence, will set it off prematurely, so you cannot fire through obstructions with this kind of round. It's often a good idea to clear bushes and fences with your machine guns quickly before taking a shot. Finally, the HEATFS round is relatively expensive in terms of SL, so keep that in mind when loading up.

'''DM502 ''HESH''''' (High-Explosive Squash-Head) works very differently than other shell types. It ignores any angle, except for ricochet and deals damage by metal-flakes which are blown off inside the armour by the exterior explosion. To create this deadly shrapnel inside the tank, make sure to only hit armour plates which are directly adjacent to the interior crew compartment of the tank. Hitting exterior parts of a tank like spaced armour, the suspension, tracks etc. will not harm crew members/modules at all. Unfortunately, HESH is particularly ineffective against particularly high true armour values (as opposed to high 'effective' armour values sourced from highly angled but thin armour - HESH loves angles!). Like all high-explosive shells, the fuse is very sensitive and can be set-off by most objects e.g. fences, trees, shrubbery. The low muzzle velocity of this shell can make it quite hard to hit targets at larger distances, although an experienced tanker may be able to use this to their advantage by lobbing a round over a small deffolade or hill. It's also worth noting that HESH can be rather unreliable at times; it's best used as a fall-back ammo, or saved for particularly lightly armoured targets.

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_LeopardI.png|right|thumbnail|Ammo racks of the Leopard I.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''60''' || 58 ''(+2)'' || 47 ''(+13)'' || 43 ''(+17)'' || 40 ''(+20)'' || 1 ''(+59)'' || No
|-
|}

Turret empty: 47 (+13)

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)}}The {{PAGENAME}} mounts one coaxial 7.62 machine gun and one pintle-mounted 7.62 machine gun. These both have particularly high rates of fire, and can be used as a deterrent for close air support as well as clearing light obstacles and crew in open-top vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG 3A1]]
|-
! Mount
! Capacity (Belt)
! Fire rate
! Vertical
! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial mount || 4,500 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle mount || 2,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || -8°/+20° || ±120°
|-
|}

== Usage in the battles ==

Scan and use the terrain to your advantage. Take into consideration the moderate vehicle height, which allows you to go turret down in certain locations, allowing you to safely use your commander's binoculars to locate targets. Then, after you have located the enemy, fire a few rounds in quick succession and relocate when spotted, especially when the enemy shots come dangerously close. The Leopard is quite fast, so taking hits from a distance while on the move is a risk that you may consider worth taking.

Always remember: The Leopard is not designed to take hits from any guns, nor fight in stand-off situations against heavier enemy vehicles. Frontally, the angle of the hull can bounce shots once in a while, but you're better off not to rely on this. The turret front is also the same, it's best to attempt to only fire when you can avoid receiving a shot or relocating to a position if possible. The main goal is to make the opponent incapable of returning fire. The majority of Russian rank V tanks ([[IS-3]], [[IS-4M]], [[T-10M]], [[T-54 (1951)|T-54s]], [[SU-122-54]], [[T-62]] or [[ZSU-57-2]]) gunners are disabled by penetrating the right side of the turret or hull, if they are faced towards you. If you have the possibility to hit a Russian tank's hull, which is again faced towards you, prioritize it, because it is likely to take it out with one shot to the right side of the hull (3 out of 4 crew member are sitting in a row), this does not work with the stock APDS round due to the poor damage output. American top rank tanks like the [[M103]], [[M47]] or [[M60]] are harder to take out. It is advised to take out the gunner first, which is located in the left side of the turret and then take out the rest of the remaining crew members. Hitting the ammo rack of your opponent is often the fastest way to take out an enemy vehicle, keep in mind though there is a small chance the ammo will not blow up (Best ammo types to ammo rack: HEAT-FS > HESH > APDS).
[[File:Leopard 1 vs T55AM.png|thumb|600x600px|Leopard I Engaging a T-55AM at Cargo Port]]
Sometimes moving is not an option, but remember, directly behind your hull front sits a large portion of your ammunition, at least if you're fully loaded. Always have that in mind when positioning yourself against the enemy - and don't forget that you don't have to stack all of your ammunition racks to their maximum capacity! Sometimes it can be wise to take less ammunition with you, as it will increase your survivability when taking hits - especially with the Leopard. The Leopards worst nemesis is the [[ZSU-57-2]] and the [[IT-1]]. The [[ZSU-57-2]] can be easily destroyed by hitting one of the many ammo racks in the big turret, which often leads to an explosion of the whole tank. The [[IT-1]] on the other hand can be quite hard to deal with, since they are able to operate perfectly hull down only exposing the roof mounted ATGM. Destroying (only black damage status counts, red damage does not prevent from firing ATGM) the rocket mount/cannon barrel forces the [[IT-1]] to repair for a whole 27 seconds (maxed out + expert crew).

The Leopard 1 holds a distinct advantage over almost every other tank it will face - it's almost always faster. While in a direct shoot-out, most other vehicles can take out the Leopard, using the mobility advantage of the Leopard will allow a good tanker to get into an advantageous position and take out targets before they get the opportunity to respond. However, ensure you are aware of your surroundings and have a fall-back option: getting caught off guard on the back of a hill with nowhere to back off to and with no real support is a death sentence.

Depending on the map and opponents, ammunition choices may vary however usually it's ideal to have HEATFS as primary ammunition (reasonably easy to use at range, reliable penetration values), APDS as a backup (extremely easy to use at range, particularly with the Leo's excellent optics) and a couple of HESH rounds to deal with any light targets you might encounter. Try to keep round storage to a minimum but keep in mind that with these ammunition choices often it will take a number of rounds to guarantee a destroyed target.

''In a nutshell:'' Use the superb mobility with the cannon's perfection to flank and spank enemies, wait and hunt for the perfect positions and pick off the enemy tanks one by one, while always maintaining a good situational awareness. Patience is the key to success.
===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
! colspan="3" |Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|Smoke grenade
|
|-
|II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|DM502
|
|-
|III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|NVD
|
|-
|IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|
|Artillery Support
|DM12
|Rangefinder
|-
|}
=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Fast and very agile when fully upgraded
* High-penetration APDS and HEAT rounds
* HESH rounds extremely effective against light targets
* Reasonably fast reload time, can be reduced to 6.7 seconds
* Good gun elevation and depression
* Reasonably good turret traverse rate
* Access to smoke grenades
* Relatively small, moderately low profile
* Excellent reverse speed
* A well coordinated squad of Leopards can effectively take over a match
* Potential to be an extremely efficient vehicle in the right hands
* Some parts of the turret (mainly the mantlet) can bounce rounds from the right angles
* Reasonably low repair cost

'''Cons:'''

* Essentially non-existent armour that can't stop any more than 20mm rounds reliably
* No main gun stabiliser
* Tankers unaccustomed to APDS may struggle with the stock vehicle
* Stock accuracy is sub-par
* HEATFS shells are expensive at 920 SL
* Does not have the HESH round when stock
* Like all MBTs, there is ammunition stored adjacent to the driver
* 4-man crew complement, reasonably close-packed
* Easy prey for high-calibre autocannons such as those found on the ZSU-57-2
* HEATFS and APDS rounds have sub-par post-penetration effectiveness, often taking multiple rounds to destroy vehicles

== History ==

===Development===
The project for the Leopard started as far back as 1956 as an attempt to replace the American [[M41 (90 mm)|M47]] and [[M48A1|M48 Patton]] tanks in service at the time as they were becoming outdated to newer anti-tank technology. Specifications for the new tank came in July 1957 asking for a design weighing no more than 30 tons, with a power-to-weight ratio of 30 horsepower per ton and could withstand 20 mm gunfire alongside protection against chemical weapons and radiation fallout, which was becoming extremely common protection system for the modern tank designs. The design stressed mobility as the main focus, while firepower comes next and armour was relegated to minimum priority. The lack of focus on the armour was because of the belief that no matter how much armour a tank can have, it will eventually fall obsolete to the advent of newer anti-tank weapons such as the HEAT rounds, which was becoming stronger and stronger by the years.

In the initial stages of development, France and West Germany, interested in this tank design, worked on it from 1957 to build a common tank and the project was designated the ''Europa-Panzer''. France had AMX, SLD Lorraine, and SOMUA with FCM Renault working on the project, while Germany had Porsche, Rheinmetall with Henschel, and Borgward working on the project. In 1958, Italy entered into the development as well, though it's not sure if they provided much to the program. By 1960, Porsche and Rheinmetall had prototypes submitted, as well as AMX from France, all the others failed to provide a prototype in time. In 1963, the Porsche prototype was selected as the winner in 1963, though even before this decision the vehicle already has priority in being built in greater number than the others. Though a tank is set, France and Germany split in the joint tank project in 1963 after France opted out of standardization with the NATO forces. This left Germany alone with their Leopard tank development, which they continued.

The Porsche Prototype II was well received, though changes were made to the design such as a new cast turret, hull design change, and relocating the radiators. The tank now mounted the 105mm L7 gun over the Rheinmetall design, as well as adding an optical range-finding system for increased gunnery. The design finished trials by the end of 1963 and production started in Munich in February of 1964. The first batches began arriving at the Bundeswehr (German Army) in September of 1965 and were put into units by November of that same year. The tank was finally designated the '''Leopard 1''', with the prototype stage labelled as the ''Leopard 1A0''.

===Usage===
After the first delivery, many upgrades were made on the tank throughout its production and service life. The first few Leopards were designated ''Leopard 1A1'' and continued all the way to ''Leopard 1A6'' as it incorporates new technology such as sights, gun, radios, armor, or even small upgrades or redesigns on some parts. Some of these Leopards are even upgraded further in each variant form, for example, the ''[[Leopard A1A1|Leopard 1A1A1]]'' which had it fitted with new turret armor and night sights. Other than the different variants, the Leopard 1 was also extensively modified or made into derivatives in roles such as anti-aircraft guns, armor recovery vehicles, bridge layers, and such.

The versatility of the Leopard 1 design and its rather cheap cost in comparison to other tanks at the time made it a useful tank and it was sought out by many different countries in and out of the NATO force group. These countries put them into service in the conflict, such as Denmark, which is believed to be the first country to use the Leopard 1 in hostile engagement, when going against Bosnian Serb forces. Canada also used the Leopard 1C2 in the War in Afghanistan from 2006-2011. Greece also had Leopard 1s and is the largest user of it, with over 500 units of ''Leopard 1A5s'' still in service.

The Leopard 1 versatility and widespread use compared to other tanks in the NATO service made it a very useful weapon system for armies that couldn't afford the new American Pattons or Abrams tanks or the British Challengers and [[Chieftain Mk 3|Chieftains]]. The Leopard 1 in German service was eventually replaced by the Leopard 2 design, which entered into service in 1979 as the main battle tank with better armor and better gun compared to the Leopard 1, fully replacing it in 2003. Other countries followed suit by upgrading their tanks to either the Leopard 2, the American M1 Abrams, or their own domestic tank designs. The vehicle in its various modernized forms is still operated by third parties such as , Brazil, Turkey, and Greece. Some are kept in reserve in Chile and Ecuador due to their light frames and ease of use in soft soils like in the jungles in their countries.

In 1974, the Australian government purchased 101 Leopard 1 tanks (90 MBTs, 5 bridge-laying variants, and 6 recovery vehicles). the first leopard 1s arrived in Australia in 1976 and served with the 1st Armoured Regiment. The Leopard 1 was retired from service in July 2007.

The Belgian army received 334 Leopard 1s, equipping 8 tank regiments with 40 Leopard 1s each. The Belgian Leopards were retired from service in 2014.

Canada received 127 Leopard 1 C1 tanks in 1978-1979 to replace the Centurion tank. starting in 2000, the Canadian government upgraded the Leopard 1 C1 to Leopard 1 C2. the Leopard C2 is now obsolete and the Canadian government has opted to use the Leopard 2.

In 1976, Denmark acquired 120 Leopard 1A3 tanks. Denmark acquired another 110 Leopard 1A3 tanks in 1992, and upgraded all for a total of 230 Leopard 1A5-DKs tanks. Denmark no longer uses Leopard 1 tanks as an MBT (replaced by leopard 2), but still uses an armored recovery vehicle variant.

Germany used a total of 2,437 Leopard 1 tanks, of various variants. The remaining Leopard 1s are in storage, replaced by the Leopard 2.

From 1971-1985, Italy obtained (Purchased from other countries or Built under license) 920 Leopard 1 tanks and 250 Special Variants. Italian Leopard 1 MBTs were retired from service by 2008, and are replaced with the native Italian C1-Ariele tank. Armored recovery vehicles and bridge-laying variants remain in service.

The Netherlands operated 468 Leopard 1 tanks, and are replaced with Leopard 2 tanks. Armored recovery vehicles and bridge-laying variants remain in service.

Norway operated 172 Leopard 1 tanks, the last Leopard 1 decommissioned in 2011, and are replaced with Leopard 2 tanks. Armored recovery vehicles and bridge-laying variants remain in service.

Brazil currently operates 128 Leopard 1BE and 250 Leopard 1A5.

Chile used to operate 202 Leopard 1V, but sold some and currently have 120 in service.

Equador purchased all 60 of their Leopard tanks from Chile.

Greece bought 104 Leopard 1A3s in 1983. during 1992, Greece received a further 75 Leopard 1A5. Greece purchased another 192 used Leopard 1A5s. Greece is now the current operator of the most Leopard 1 tank.

Lebanon purchased 43 Belgian Leopard 1A5.

Turkey bought and upgraded 170 Leopard 1A1 tanks and upgraded all to Leopard 1T 'Volkan'. Turkey also purchased 227 A3 variants.

=== In-game description ===
"Development of the tank began in 1957 in cooperation with France. However, this attempt to create a unified European tank was unsuccessful. The projects in both countries were conducted virtually in parallel, but in 1963, before the end of comparative testing of the French and German tanks, Germany declined to cooperate further with France. Each country began to build its own national tank — the Leopard in Germany, the AMX-30 in France.

During the development of the Leopard 1 among all combat characteristics preference was given to firepower and mobility. Later, due to the German engineers’ changing perspective on the significance of tank defenses in modern combat, a number of steps were taken to increase it.
The first production order of 1,500 tanks was placed in 1963, and in September, 1965 the first serial Leopard 1 was delivered to the Bundeswehr."

== Media ==


;Skins

* [http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=germ_leopard_I '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the Leopard 1 from live.warthunder.com]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|xHEIjV0e4Tc|'''"Leopard 1 Tank Review"''' - ''CornyBros''|pIH1dnzqoNk|'''"LEOPARD Top Tier Gameplay!"''' - ''PhlyDaily''|4GxNndsDlH4|'''"War Thunder Leopard 1 - Review and Gameplay!"''' - ''JustMax''|SKeFUWKudoY|'''The Shooting Range #63''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 00:33 discusses the Leopard I.|GgC8UNa8dok|'''Leopard I vs STB-1''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

==References==
<references />

== Read also ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/devblog/current/792/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard 1] 
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/3325/current/ Official War Thunder forum article: [Vehicle Profile<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard I]

== Sources ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''
https://mtu-online-shop.com/media/files_public/952ae139f0fae50b15702ddf661cad33/3061601_MTU_Defense_Brochure.pdf
{{Germany medium tanks}}

Leopard I

2020-06-22T07:45:43Z

U39351509: Changed the source in mobilty to Reference source

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_leopard_I}}
{{About
| about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = Leopard (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_LeopardI.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.51 "Cold Steel"]].

The main strengths of the Leopard I are its high mobility and the above-average rate of fire of the main cannon. In combination with a good gun depression of -9° (meaning, you can lower the gun quite extensively), an experienced Leopard I driver can exploit uneven terrain to effectively fight his enemies without showing much of his vehicle - or being in the inconvenient situation to leave his cover to return fire.

The MG3A1 is rapid firing rifle calibre GPMG equipped in a coaxial and pintle mount, but otherwise of little use against armoured vehicles. The occasional open top SPAA can be harassed, although some of the crew won't be accessible without a good angle. Most annoying on the [[ZSU-57-2|ZSU-57]] with its tall crew shielding and more than 13 mm of armour. Therefore just above the machine gun's penetration ability at 10m.

Considering everything, the Leopard 1 is not a bad vehicle in the right hands - unfortunately, the lack of a stabilizer and extremely sub-par armour will result in many less experienced players struggling to perform well when many of their opponents will have better, often stabilised guns and armour

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

The Leopard's armour is not thick enough in the game to defend itself from most incoming fire, as many shell types at its battle rating are able to easily penetrate and destroy the tank. The Leopard 1 was originally built with a "perfect standard tank" idea, similar to the Main Battle Tank concept, as during its development, the armour has been considered an expendable quality and that superior speed and firepower is most important. Therefore the Leopard's armour design was only meant to withstand 20mm calibers from the front. A big threat is the [[ZSU-57-2|ZSU-57]], which gives any Leopard 1 a hard time with its high rate of fire of effective 57mm AP rounds.

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
*Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides (Slope angle) !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 70 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 50 mm (51°) ''Bottom glacis'' || 35 (40-42°) mm ''Top hull side'' 30 mm ''Bottom hull side'' || 25 mm (12-47°) || 30 mm ''Front area'' 15 mm ''Rear area''
|-
| Turret || 65 mm ''Turret front'' 45 - 200 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 37-45 mm (28-31°) || 25-52 mm (26-72°) || 25-35 mm ''Turret roof'' 20 mm ''Cupola area''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* The turret mantlet has varying thicknesses ranging from 45 - 200 mm. It is thickest near the centre in contrast to the borders where it is the thinnest.

=== Mobility ===
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |Game Mode
! colspan="2" |Max Speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" |Weight (tons)
! colspan="2" |Engine Power (Horsepower)
! colspan="2" |Power to Weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
!Forward
!Reverse
!Stock
!Upgraded
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|Arcade
|72
|28
| rowspan="2" |40
|1286
|1584
|32.15
|39.6
|-
|Realistic
|65
|25
|734
|830
|18.35
|20.75
|}

{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 1286|rbMinHp= 734|}}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|L7A3 (105 mm)}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L7A3 (105 mm)|105 mm L7A3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 60 || rowspan="2" | -9°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 22.85 || 31.62 || 38.40 || 42.46 || 45.18 || rowspan="2" | 8.7 || rowspan="2" | 7.7 || rowspan="2" | 7.1 || rowspan="2" | 6.7
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.4 || 22.60 || 24.00

|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| DM13 || APDS || 303 || 302 || 296 || 277 || 257 || 252
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| DM13 || APDS || 1478 || 5.8 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 75° || 78° || 80°
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 730 || 15 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 4,310 || +0° || 75° || 78° || 80°
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 1173 || 11 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 1,270 || +0° || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
|}

'''DM13 ''APDS''''' (Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot) will comfortably penetrate the armour of most foes; be aware however that some vehicles such as the IS-4 or M103 are only vulnerable in specific weak spots. APDS rounds do require some finesse with their placement, and because of the lack of explosive filler, unless you're confident you can destroy the enemy before they can respond, you should attempt to disable their weaponry first to ensure your own safety. Against targets with known ammunition storage, it's possible to try to detonate it with a well-placed shot; keep in mind, however, that ammo detonations always occur with a random chance, taking out crew members is more reliable to destroy your enemies. This, of course, requires knowledge about the vehicles you may face - so be sure to use the game's X-Ray view in the hangar and analyse your potential foes for their weak spots! Also, keep in mind that with increased armour thickness the amount of shrapnels shrinks.

'''DM12 ''HEAT-FS''''' (High-Explosive Anti Tank Fin Stabilised): Knowledge of potential opponents vehicle layouts can be very handy - as you now have a round at your disposal that can penetrate essentially any vehicle's armour frontally. Like the APDS shot, increased armour thickness results in a reduced amount of shrapnel after penetration. You are able to take out enemies on any distance since the HEAT round does not lose penetration effectiveness with distance - very handy on big scaled maps like Kursk. There is, however, a significant downside to HEATFS: Given that it is a chemical energy round, its fuse is highly sensitive in regards to its practical application in battle. As a result, virtually anything, such as trees or even a fence, will set it off prematurely, so you cannot fire through obstructions with this kind of round. It's often a good idea to clear bushes and fences with your machine guns quickly before taking a shot. Finally, the HEATFS round is relatively expensive in terms of SL, so keep that in mind when loading up.

'''DM502 ''HESH''''' (High-Explosive Squash-Head) works very differently than other shell types. It ignores any angle, except for ricochet and deals damage by metal-flakes which are blown off inside the armour by the exterior explosion. To create this deadly shrapnel inside the tank, make sure to only hit armour plates which are directly adjacent to the interior crew compartment of the tank. Hitting exterior parts of a tank like spaced armour, the suspension, tracks etc. will not harm crew members/modules at all. Unfortunately, HESH is particularly ineffective against particularly high true armour values (as opposed to high 'effective' armour values sourced from highly angled but thin armour - HESH loves angles!). Like all high-explosive shells, the fuse is very sensitive and can be set-off by most objects e.g. fences, trees, shrubbery. The low muzzle velocity of this shell can make it quite hard to hit targets at larger distances, although an experienced tanker may be able to use this to their advantage by lobbing a round over a small deffolade or hill. It's also worth noting that HESH can be rather unreliable at times; it's best used as a fall-back ammo, or saved for particularly lightly armoured targets.

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_LeopardI.png|right|thumbnail|Ammo racks of the Leopard I.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''60''' || 58 ''(+2)'' || 47 ''(+13)'' || 43 ''(+17)'' || 40 ''(+20)'' || 1 ''(+59)'' || No
|-
|}

Turret empty: 47 (+13)

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)}}The {{PAGENAME}} mounts one coaxial 7.62 machine gun and one pintle-mounted 7.62 machine gun. These both have particularly high rates of fire, and can be used as a deterrent for close air support as well as clearing light obstacles and crew in open-top vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG 3A1]]
|-
! Mount
! Capacity (Belt)
! Fire rate
! Vertical
! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial mount || 4,500 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle mount || 2,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || -8°/+20° || ±120°
|-
|}

== Usage in the battles ==

Scan and use the terrain to your advantage. Take into consideration the moderate vehicle height, which allows you to go turret down in certain locations, allowing you to safely use your commander's binoculars to locate targets. Then, after you have located the enemy, fire a few rounds in quick succession and relocate when spotted, especially when the enemy shots come dangerously close. The Leopard is quite fast, so taking hits from a distance while on the move is a risk that you may consider worth taking.

Always remember: The Leopard is not designed to take hits from any guns, nor fight in stand-off situations against heavier enemy vehicles. Frontally, the angle of the hull can bounce shots once in a while, but you're better off not to rely on this. The turret front is also the same, it's best to attempt to only fire when you can avoid receiving a shot or relocating to a position if possible. The main goal is to make the opponent incapable of returning fire. The majority of Russian rank V tanks ([[IS-3]], [[IS-4M]], [[T-10M]], [[T-54 (1951)|T-54s]], [[SU-122-54]], [[T-62]] or [[ZSU-57-2]]) gunners are disabled by penetrating the right side of the turret or hull, if they are faced towards you. If you have the possibility to hit a Russian tank's hull, which is again faced towards you, prioritize it, because it is likely to take it out with one shot to the right side of the hull (3 out of 4 crew member are sitting in a row), this does not work with the stock APDS round due to the poor damage output. American top rank tanks like the [[M103]], [[M47]] or [[M60]] are harder to take out. It is advised to take out the gunner first, which is located in the left side of the turret and then take out the rest of the remaining crew members. Hitting the ammo rack of your opponent is often the fastest way to take out an enemy vehicle, keep in mind though there is a small chance the ammo will not blow up (Best ammo types to ammo rack: HEAT-FS > HESH > APDS).
[[File:Leopard 1 vs T55AM.png|thumb|600x600px|Leopard I Engaging a T-55AM at Cargo Port]]
Sometimes moving is not an option, but remember, directly behind your hull front sits a large portion of your ammunition, at least if you're fully loaded. Always have that in mind when positioning yourself against the enemy - and don't forget that you don't have to stack all of your ammunition racks to their maximum capacity! Sometimes it can be wise to take less ammunition with you, as it will increase your survivability when taking hits - especially with the Leopard. The Leopards worst nemesis is the [[ZSU-57-2]] and the [[IT-1]]. The [[ZSU-57-2]] can be easily destroyed by hitting one of the many ammo racks in the big turret, which often leads to an explosion of the whole tank. The [[IT-1]] on the other hand can be quite hard to deal with, since they are able to operate perfectly hull down only exposing the roof mounted ATGM. Destroying (only black damage status counts, red damage does not prevent from firing ATGM) the rocket mount/cannon barrel forces the [[IT-1]] to repair for a whole 27 seconds (maxed out + expert crew).

The Leopard 1 holds a distinct advantage over almost every other tank it will face - it's almost always faster. While in a direct shoot-out, most other vehicles can take out the Leopard, using the mobility advantage of the Leopard will allow a good tanker to get into an advantageous position and take out targets before they get the opportunity to respond. However, ensure you are aware of your surroundings and have a fall-back option: getting caught off guard on the back of a hill with nowhere to back off to and with no real support is a death sentence.

Depending on the map and opponents, ammunition choices may vary however usually it's ideal to have HEATFS as primary ammunition (reasonably easy to use at range, reliable penetration values), APDS as a backup (extremely easy to use at range, particularly with the Leo's excellent optics) and a couple of HESH rounds to deal with any light targets you might encounter. Try to keep round storage to a minimum but keep in mind that with these ammunition choices often it will take a number of rounds to guarantee a destroyed target.

''In a nutshell:'' Use the superb mobility with the cannon's perfection to flank and spank enemies, wait and hunt for the perfect positions and pick off the enemy tanks one by one, while always maintaining a good situational awareness. Patience is the key to success.
===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
! colspan="3" |Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|Smoke grenade
|
|-
|II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|DM502
|
|-
|III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|NVD
|
|-
|IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|
|Artillery Support
|DM12
|Rangefinder
|-
|}
=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Fast and very agile when fully upgraded
* High-penetration APDS and HEAT rounds
* HESH rounds extremely effective against light targets
* Reasonably fast reload time, can be reduced to 6.7 seconds
* Good gun elevation and depression
* Reasonably good turret traverse rate
* Access to smoke grenades
* Relatively small, moderately low profile
* Excellent reverse speed
* A well coordinated squad of Leopards can effectively take over a match
* Potential to be an extremely efficient vehicle in the right hands
* Some parts of the turret (mainly the mantlet) can bounce rounds from the right angles
* Reasonably low repair cost

'''Cons:'''

* Essentially non-existent armour that can't stop any more than 20mm rounds reliably
* No main gun stabiliser
* Tankers unaccustomed to APDS may struggle with the stock vehicle
* Stock accuracy is sub-par
* HEATFS shells are expensive at 920 SL
* Does not have the HESH round when stock
* Like all MBTs, there is ammunition stored adjacent to the driver
* 4-man crew complement, reasonably close-packed
* Easy prey for high-calibre autocannons such as those found on the ZSU-57-2
* HEATFS and APDS rounds have sub-par post-penetration effectiveness, often taking multiple rounds to destroy vehicles

== History ==

===Development===
The project for the Leopard started as far back as 1956 as an attempt to replace the American [[M41 (90 mm)|M47]] and [[M48A1|M48 Patton]] tanks in service at the time as they were becoming outdated to newer anti-tank technology. Specifications for the new tank came in July 1957 asking for a design weighing no more than 30 tons, with a power-to-weight ratio of 30 horsepower per ton and could withstand 20 mm gunfire alongside protection against chemical weapons and radiation fallout, which was becoming extremely common protection system for the modern tank designs. The design stressed mobility as the main focus, while firepower comes next and armour was relegated to minimum priority. The lack of focus on the armour was because of the belief that no matter how much armour a tank can have, it will eventually fall obsolete to the advent of newer anti-tank weapons such as the HEAT rounds, which was becoming stronger and stronger by the years.

In the initial stages of development, France and West Germany, interested in this tank design, worked on it from 1957 to build a common tank and the project was designated the ''Europa-Panzer''. France had AMX, SLD Lorraine, and SOMUA with FCM Renault working on the project, while Germany had Porsche, Rheinmetall with Henschel, and Borgward working on the project. In 1958, Italy entered into the development as well, though it's not sure if they provided much to the program. By 1960, Porsche and Rheinmetall had prototypes submitted, as well as AMX from France, all the others failed to provide a prototype in time. In 1963, the Porsche prototype was selected as the winner in 1963, though even before this decision the vehicle already has priority in being built in greater number than the others. Though a tank is set, France and Germany split in the joint tank project in 1963 after France opted out of standardization with the NATO forces. This left Germany alone with their Leopard tank development, which they continued.

The Porsche Prototype II was well received, though changes were made to the design such as a new cast turret, hull design change, and relocating the radiators. The tank now mounted the 105mm L7 gun over the Rheinmetall design, as well as adding an optical range-finding system for increased gunnery. The design finished trials by the end of 1963 and production started in Munich in February of 1964. The first batches began arriving at the Bundeswehr (German Army) in September of 1965 and were put into units by November of that same year. The tank was finally designated the '''Leopard 1''', with the prototype stage labelled as the ''Leopard 1A0''.

===Usage===
After the first delivery, many upgrades were made on the tank throughout its production and service life. The first few Leopards were designated ''Leopard 1A1'' and continued all the way to ''Leopard 1A6'' as it incorporates new technology such as sights, gun, radios, armor, or even small upgrades or redesigns on some parts. Some of these Leopards are even upgraded further in each variant form, for example, the ''[[Leopard A1A1|Leopard 1A1A1]]'' which had it fitted with new turret armor and night sights. Other than the different variants, the Leopard 1 was also extensively modified or made into derivatives in roles such as anti-aircraft guns, armor recovery vehicles, bridge layers, and such.

The versatility of the Leopard 1 design and its rather cheap cost in comparison to other tanks at the time made it a useful tank and it was sought out by many different countries in and out of the NATO force group. These countries put them into service in the conflict, such as Denmark, which is believed to be the first country to use the Leopard 1 in hostile engagement, when going against Bosnian Serb forces. Canada also used the Leopard 1C2 in the War in Afghanistan from 2006-2011. Greece also had Leopard 1s and is the largest user of it, with over 500 units of ''Leopard 1A5s'' still in service.

The Leopard 1 versatility and widespread use compared to other tanks in the NATO service made it a very useful weapon system for armies that couldn't afford the new American Pattons or Abrams tanks or the British Challengers and [[Chieftain Mk 3|Chieftains]]. The Leopard 1 in German service was eventually replaced by the Leopard 2 design, which entered into service in 1979 as the main battle tank with better armor and better gun compared to the Leopard 1, fully replacing it in 2003. Other countries followed suit by upgrading their tanks to either the Leopard 2, the American M1 Abrams, or their own domestic tank designs. The vehicle in its various modernized forms is still operated by third parties such as , Brazil, Turkey, and Greece. Some are kept in reserve in Chile and Ecuador due to their light frames and ease of use in soft soils like in the jungles in their countries.

In 1974, the Australian government purchased 101 Leopard 1 tanks (90 MBTs, 5 bridge-laying variants, and 6 recovery vehicles). the first leopard 1s arrived in Australia in 1976 and served with the 1st Armoured Regiment. The Leopard 1 was retired from service in July 2007.

The Belgian army received 334 Leopard 1s, equipping 8 tank regiments with 40 Leopard 1s each. The Belgian Leopards were retired from service in 2014.

Canada received 127 Leopard 1 C1 tanks in 1978-1979 to replace the Centurion tank. starting in 2000, the Canadian government upgraded the Leopard 1 C1 to Leopard 1 C2. the Leopard C2 is now obsolete and the Canadian government has opted to use the Leopard 2.

In 1976, Denmark acquired 120 Leopard 1A3 tanks. Denmark acquired another 110 Leopard 1A3 tanks in 1992, and upgraded all for a total of 230 Leopard 1A5-DKs tanks. Denmark no longer uses Leopard 1 tanks as an MBT (replaced by leopard 2), but still uses an armored recovery vehicle variant.

Germany used a total of 2,437 Leopard 1 tanks, of various variants. The remaining Leopard 1s are in storage, replaced by the Leopard 2.

From 1971-1985, Italy obtained (Purchased from other countries or Built under license) 920 Leopard 1 tanks and 250 Special Variants. Italian Leopard 1 MBTs were retired from service by 2008, and are replaced with the native Italian C1-Ariele tank. Armored recovery vehicles and bridge-laying variants remain in service.

The Netherlands operated 468 Leopard 1 tanks, and are replaced with Leopard 2 tanks. Armored recovery vehicles and bridge-laying variants remain in service.

Norway operated 172 Leopard 1 tanks, the last Leopard 1 decommissioned in 2011, and are replaced with Leopard 2 tanks. Armored recovery vehicles and bridge-laying variants remain in service.

Brazil currently operates 128 Leopard 1BE and 250 Leopard 1A5.

Chile used to operate 202 Leopard 1V, but sold some and currently have 120 in service.

Equador purchased all 60 of their Leopard tanks from Chile.

Greece bought 104 Leopard 1A3s in 1983. during 1992, Greece received a further 75 Leopard 1A5. Greece purchased another 192 used Leopard 1A5s. Greece is now the current operator of the most Leopard 1 tank.

Lebanon purchased 43 Belgian Leopard 1A5.

Turkey bought and upgraded 170 Leopard 1A1 tanks and upgraded all to Leopard 1T 'Volkan'. Turkey also purchased 227 A3 variants.

=== In-game description ===
"Development of the tank began in 1957 in cooperation with France. However, this attempt to create a unified European tank was unsuccessful. The projects in both countries were conducted virtually in parallel, but in 1963, before the end of comparative testing of the French and German tanks, Germany declined to cooperate further with France. Each country began to build its own national tank — the Leopard in Germany, the AMX-30 in France.

During the development of the Leopard 1 among all combat characteristics preference was given to firepower and mobility. Later, due to the German engineers’ changing perspective on the significance of tank defenses in modern combat, a number of steps were taken to increase it.
The first production order of 1,500 tanks was placed in 1963, and in September, 1965 the first serial Leopard 1 was delivered to the Bundeswehr."

== Media ==


;Skins

* [http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=germ_leopard_I '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the Leopard 1 from live.warthunder.com]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|xHEIjV0e4Tc|'''"Leopard 1 Tank Review"''' - ''CornyBros''|pIH1dnzqoNk|'''"LEOPARD Top Tier Gameplay!"''' - ''PhlyDaily''|4GxNndsDlH4|'''"War Thunder Leopard 1 - Review and Gameplay!"''' - ''JustMax''|SKeFUWKudoY|'''The Shooting Range #63''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 00:33 discusses the Leopard I.|GgC8UNa8dok|'''Leopard I vs STB-1''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

==References==
<references />
https://mtu-online-shop.com/media/files_public/952ae139f0fae50b15702ddf661cad33/3061601_MTU_Defense_Brochure.pdf

== Read also ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/devblog/current/792/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard 1] 
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/3325/current/ Official War Thunder forum article: [Vehicle Profile<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard I]

== Sources ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Leopard 2A5

2020-06-22T07:43:44Z

U39351509: /* Mobility */

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_leopard_2a5}}
{{About
| about = medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = Leopard (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. 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 ===
[[File:Leopard 2A5 armour scheme.png|thumb|The frontal KE protection of the Leopard 2A5 against CL1343 at 500 m.]]

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.
[[File:Leopard 2A5 CE armour scheme.png|thumb|The frontal CE protection of the Leopard 2A5 against MIM-146.]]
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.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!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
! colspan="2" |Front
! colspan="2" |Sides
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|Hull
| colspan="2" |'''''Upper+Lower glacis''''' 400 mm ''Kinetic'' 600 mm ''Chemical''
| colspan="2" | N/A
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|Turret
| colspan="2" | '''''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''

| colspan="2" | '''''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 ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 2032|rbMinHp= 1327|}}

The only drawback compared to the previous model would be the {{PAGENAME}}'s mobility since despite the 4 tons increase in weight, the engine remains the same, so the {{PAGENAME}} is both slower and less manoeuvrable compared to the [[Leopard 2A4]], but it can still keep up with the other nations MBTs.
The engine remains the same MTU (MOTOREN-UND TURBINEN-UNION FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH) MB 873 Ka-501 engine which produces 1500hp (1100KW) at 2600 RPM.

Want to see more MTU engines go here :
https://mtu-online-shop.com/media/files_public/952ae139f0fae50b15702ddf661cad33/3061601_MTU_Defense_Brochure.pdf

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{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 [[M1A2 Abrams]], [[Challenger 2]] and [[T-80U]].

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)|120 mm Rheinmetall L44]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 42 || -9°/+20° || ±180° || Two-plane
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 38.0 || 52.7 || 64.0 ||70.8
| 75.2
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 7.8 ||6.9||6.4||6.0
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 410 || 408 || 401 || 393 || 384 || 376
|-
| DM12A1 || HEATFS ||480||480||480||480||480||480
|-
| DM33 || APFSDS || 481 || 478 || 470 || 461 || 450 || 440
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''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|Ammo racks]] =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''42''' || 16 ''(+26)'' || 1 ''(+41)'' || style="text-align:left" | No
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG 3A1]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 4,500 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Pintle mount (Loader)''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 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, but try keep your turret protected as well, so then the armour package could last longer throughout the battle.
* ''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. Try also make use of hull down positions whilst sniping.
* ''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.
* ''Staying with nearby teammates:'' Try and stick to nearby teammates as this can improve your lifespan throughtout the game.

===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
! colspan="3" |Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|DM12A1
|
|-
|II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|
|
|-
|III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|Smoke grenade
|NVD
|-
|IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|
|Artillery Support
|DM33
|Laser rangefinder
|-
|}
The first modifications to research should be Parts and FPE. After that, aim for the NVD, DM33, Laser rangefinder, or mobility upgrades, depending on the desired playstyle.

=== 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, 3BM42 and CL3143
* 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 (Generation 2 for Binoculars, 800 x 600, and Generation 1 for Gunner's view, 500 x 300)

'''Cons:'''

* Lower glacis can still be penetrated by most shells (but is expected for most MBTs)
* 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
* 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 [https://warthunder.com/en/news/6098-development-leopard-2a5-this-time-we-are-dead-serious-en Devblog]''

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==


* [[Leopard 2A4]] - Preceding vehicle

== External links ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/6098-development-leopard-2a5-this-time-we-are-dead-serious-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard 2A5: This Time We Are Dead Serious]

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Leopard 2A4

2020-06-22T07:42:04Z

U39351509: /* Mobility */

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_leopard_2a4}}
{{About
|about=medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|usage=other uses
|link=Leopard (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage {{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
The Leopard 2A4's kinetic protection is reasonable, with the turret cheeks near-invulnerable to all but the most powerful rounds (e.g. CL3143) and the upper front plate capable of protecting against less powerful rounds (e.g. M735) - however besides these sections the remainder of the vehicle is largely vulnerable to high-powered kinetic rounds; of note are the weak lower front plate and the gun mantlet, both of which are reasonably visible targets, as well as the gunner's optics. [[File:Leopard 2A4 Protection Density Visualisation.png|thumb|Leopard 2A4 [[Protection Density Visualisation]]]]
The vehicle sports significantly better all-round chemical protection, with an upper hull and turret essentially immune to all but the most powerful ATGMs frontally, with upwards of 800mm worth of equivalent protection in places. Despite this, it's advisable to be wary of incoming ATGMs as a well-placed round may sneak past the heavily protected areas - and some missiles such as those of the ADATS will slice straight through even the turret cheeks.

As with most other MBTs, the 2A4 is particularly vulnerable from the sides and back.

The Leopard 2A4 is reasonably survivable, with some degree of crew spacing. However, from certain angles, the crew are placed in a straight line and successful penetration may impact three of the four crew members, resulting in a crew knock-out. In addition, well-placed side shots may impact all three turret crew members.

Ammunition is stored in the primary ammunition storage in the rear of the turret, or in the secondary storage next to the driver. The primary rack provides crew protection through the use of blow-out panels, however only has space for 15 rounds. When more than 16 rounds are taken to battle, ammunition will be stored in the significantly more vulnerable hull rack.

The Leopard 2A4's protection proves acceptable for long-range combat, although it's ill-advised to remain in one location for any extended period of time to avoid opposing vehicles being able to hone their shots onto your weak spots. The 2A4's protection should not be relied upon in urban or other close-range environments.
{| class="wikitable"
!Armour
!Front (Slope angle)
!Sides
!Rear
!Roof
|-
|Hull
|35 mm (53-82°) ''Upper glacis'' 40 mm (50-51°) ''Lower glacis'' 30 mm (82°) ''Driver's hatch''
|10 mm (5°) ''Upper hull'' 35 mm (0°) ''Lower forward hull'' 20 mm (0°) ''Lower rear hull'' 5 mm (0°) ''Side Skirts'' 100 mm (0°) ''Composite screening''
|20 mm (12-50°) ''All rear''
|20 mm (0-8°) ''Hull roof incl. engine deck''
|-
|Turret
|35 mm (0-6°) ''Cheeks incl. Gunner optics'' 35 mm (1°) ''Mantlet'' 120 mm ''Rear Mantlet Plate''
|35 mm (0°) ''Forward'' 15 mm (0°) ''Rear''
|10 mm (10°) ''Basket'' 20 mm (70°) ''Turret underside''
|40 mm (82-85°) ''Forehead Armour'' 14 mm (72-77°) ''Forward sides'' 20 mm (89°) ''Rear turret incl. cupolas'' 5 mm (84°) ''Basket''
|-
!Composite armour
! colspan="2" |Front
! colspan="2" |Sides
|-
|Hull
| colspan="2" |'''''Upper+Lower glacis''''' 90 - 350 mm ''Kinetic'' 243 - 600 mm ''Chemical''
| colspan="2" |N/A
|-
|Turret
| colspan="2" |'''''Turret cheeks''''' 420 - 800 mm ''Kinetic'' 535 - 820 mm ''Chemical''

'''''Gun mantlet''''' 100 - 270 mm ''Kinetic'' 300 - 480 mm ''Chemical''
| colspan="2" |'''''Side armour'''''194 - 260 mm ''Kinetic'' 280 - 400 mm ''Chemical''
|}

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 2032|rbMinHp= 1327|}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is powered by a MTU (MOTOREN-UND TURBINEN-UNION FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH) MB 873 Ka-501 engine which produces a whopping 1500hp (1100KW), resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of slightly over 27 hp per tonne, comparable to the ratio of the early Abrams and identical to the T-80U. As such, the {{PAGENAME}} is quite mobile despite weighing over 55 tonnes, comfortably able to reach 72 km/h on-road and well capable of keeping up with its competitors. This allows for an active, aggressive playstyle, using the Leopard's high speed and good acceleration characteristics to get into an early flanking position or take early cap points - though it is important to keep in mind that opposition forces might attempt the same.

The {{PAGENAME}} has a maximum reverse speed of 31 km/h which it reaches easily, allowing for a quick retreat in sub-optimal situations.
Want to look at other engines MTU made go here:
https://mtu-online-shop.com/media/files_public/952ae139f0fae50b15702ddf661cad33/3061601_MTU_Defense_Brochure.pdf

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)}}The famous Rheinmetall L/44 120 mm cannon is mounted as the primary armament on the Leopard 2A4, offering a balance of firepower, accuracy and sustained rate of fire. The 2A4 has three rounds available to it: DM12 HEAT-FS, DM13 APFSDS and DM23 APFSDS. Of these, only DM12 is available when the vehicle is stock, with DM13 a tier 1 and DM23 a tier 4 modification. The L/44 is reasonably accurate at long range with any ammunition, however minor round deviation may be evident at extreme ranges (over 2000m).

It's advisable to primarily rely on the best available APFSDS round for engaging other MBTs, however retaining a couple of DM12 rounds can prove valuable for the hull break effect against lighter vehicles such as the ADATS.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)|120 mm Rheinmetall L44]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 42|| rowspan="2" | -9°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 38.0 || 52.7 || 64.0 ||51.1|| 75.2 || rowspan="2" | 7.8 || rowspan="2" | 6.9 || rowspan="2" | 6.4 || rowspan="2" | 6.0
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS ||480||480||480||480||480||480
|-
| DM13 || APFSDS || 393 || 390 || 384 || 376 || 367 || 359
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 410 || 408 || 401 || 393 || 384 || 376
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 1,140 || 13.5 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 1,640 || +0° || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
| DM13 || APFSDS || 1650 || 4.44 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 76° || 77° || 78°
|-
| DM23 || APFSDS || 1640 || 4.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 78° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_Leopard_2A4.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the Leopard 2A4.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''42''' || 16 ''(+26)'' || 1 ''(+41)'' || style="text-align:left" | None
|-
|}
First stage only: 16 rounds (15 in rack + 1 in gun), stored within blow-out protected containment.

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)}}The 2A4 is equipped with one pintle-mounted machine gun and one coaxial machine gun. These can be used as an anti-air deterrent or for clearing out light obstacles and crew from open vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG3A1_(7.62_mm)|7.62 mm MG 3A1]]
|-
! Mount
! Capacity (Belt)
! Fire rate
! Vertical
! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4500 (1000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 2000 (1000) || 1,200 || -8°/+20° || ±120°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Leopard 2A4 may feel somewhat sluggish when stock, and the DM12 HEAT-FS round may appear to be relatively ineffective. Prior to researching improved rounds and engine modifications, it may be wise to play conservatively.

Once the vehicle's modifications are all researched, however, the 2A4 becomes significantly more mobile and has a competitive, albeit not impressive round in the DM23 APFSDS. The 2A4 can be used comfortably in both urban and rural environments, providing the vehicle's weaknesses are kept in mind. While it is capable in most forms of engagement, it does lack the precision of the British Challenger MBTs or the extreme round velocities of the Russian T-64/T-80 series. The 2A4 also has a particularly large and blocky profile, making for a particularly visible target in many situations.

Considering the above, a Leopard 2A4 player should utilise its great mobility and competitive gun to get into early positions to pick off unsuspecting targets, rather than attempting to engage opposing forces head-on.

===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
! Tier
! colspan="2" | Mobility
! Protection
! colspan="3" | Firepower
|-
| I
| Tracks
|
| Parts
| Horizontal Drive
|DM13
|
|-
| II
| Suspension
|Brake System
| FPE
| Adjustment of Fire
|
|
|-
| III
| Filters
|
| Crew Replenishment
| Elevation Mechanism
|Smoke grenade
|NVD
|-
| IV
| Transmission
|Engine
|
| Artillery Support
|DM23
|Laser rangefinder
|-
|}
The first modifications to research should be Parts, FPE, and the DM13 round. After that, aim for the NVD, DM23, Laser rangefinder, or mobility upgrades, depending on the desired playstyle.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Powerful engine, high top speed and acceleration
* Good neutral steering system
* Good gunner sight magnification for long-range engagements
* Reasonably high velocity kinetic rounds
* Competitive DM23 APFSDS
* Turret armour can prove effective for hull-down engagements
* Primary ammunition is contained within a storage unit with blow-out panels

'''Cons:'''

* Hull armour is mediocre, particularly against kinetic rounds
* The stock DM12 HEAT-FS round can prove relatively ineffectual when compared to DM13/DM23, particularly against targets with ERA
* The gunner's optics are a weak spot, enemies who know how to aim can cripple your gun and kill your crew
* The gun mantlet is relatively weak while being quite prominent, penetration can disable the gun or knock turret crew out
* Secondary ammunition storage is extremely vulnerable, although this is avoidable by carrying no more than 16 rounds
* Both machine guns are relatively light calibre, suffer from mediocre gun elevation and will not prove to be much more an an annoyance to aircraft, particularly helicopters

== History ==

Based on the testing results gathered from the various different [[Leopard 2K]] prototypes, a new Leopard 2 prototype was constructed that would be more representative of the final version of the vehicle. Designated as Leopard 2AV, the new prototype featured a redesigned hull and turret over the Leopard 2K. Furthermore, the prototype was tested with two different cannons; the British [[L7A1 (105 mm)|L7 105mm]] rifled and the German [[Rheinmetall L44 (120 mm)|Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore cannon]].

In 1976, the Leopard 2AV was sent overseas to the United States to be comparatively tested against the new American state-of-the-art [[XM-1 (Chrysler)|XM1 Abrams]]. During testing, the Leopard 2AV proved itself as a good counterpart to the Abrams, outperforming its competitor in terms of fire accuracy, whilst demonstrating somewhat inferior protection and gun handling. Upon arriving back to its homeland with positive testing results, the decision was made to begin mass production of the Leopard 2 in 1977.

The production version Leopard 2, however, differed from the AV prototype in receiving an increased level of protection before mass production began. Mass production of the Leopard 2 started in 1979 with the Leopard 2A0 forming the first batch that would enter service with the German Bundeswehr in late 1980.

Throughout the production period of the early Leopard 2 versions, modernization and upgrades were being applied on the assembly line in order to keep the newest Leopards up to the latest standards. These modernization efforts mostly involved the upgrading of internal modules such as the aiming and communications systems. As a result of this, all early Leopard 2s (A0-A4) were visually neigh identical to each other. The Leopard 2A4 was the final early Leopard 2 variant before the more advanced and heavily upgraded subsequent Leopard 2 versions made their appearance as part of a new wave of modernization efforts.

A total of 695 Leopard 2A4s were built out of the total of 2.125 early Leopard 2s that were manufactured between 1979 - 1991. The Leopard 2 and its variants served primarily with the German Bundeswehr, but a number of export vehicles were sold to nations world-wide, ranging from Canada and Chile, over Denmark and Austria to Greece and Turkey to name a few.

''-From [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5539-development-leopard-2a4-setting-the-standard-en Devblog]''

== Media ==

{{Youtube-gallery|akxAxhPBA3k|'''The Shooting Range #101''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:31 discusses the Leopard 2A4.|F1NXlu1h6s4|Leopard 2A4 Tank Review - War Thunder (AB) -By ''NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


* [[Leopard 2K]] - Preceding vehicle
* [[Leopard 2A5]] - Succeeding vehicle

== External links ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/5539-development-leopard-2a4-setting-the-standard-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard 2A4: Setting The Standard]

{{Germany medium tanks}}

Leopard I

2020-06-22T07:34:18Z

U39351509: /* Mobility */

{{Specs-Card|code=germ_leopard_I}}
{{About
| about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = Leopard (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_LeopardI.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.51 "Cold Steel"]].

The main strengths of the Leopard I are its high mobility and the above-average rate of fire of the main cannon. In combination with a good gun depression of -9° (meaning, you can lower the gun quite extensively), an experienced Leopard I driver can exploit uneven terrain to effectively fight his enemies without showing much of his vehicle - or being in the inconvenient situation to leave his cover to return fire.

The MG3A1 is rapid firing rifle calibre GPMG equipped in a coaxial and pintle mount, but otherwise of little use against armoured vehicles. The occasional open top SPAA can be harassed, although some of the crew won't be accessible without a good angle. Most annoying on the [[ZSU-57-2|ZSU-57]] with its tall crew shielding and more than 13 mm of armour. Therefore just above the machine gun's penetration ability at 10m.

Considering everything, the Leopard 1 is not a bad vehicle in the right hands - unfortunately, the lack of a stabilizer and extremely sub-par armour will result in many less experienced players struggling to perform well when many of their opponents will have better, often stabilised guns and armour

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

The Leopard's armour is not thick enough in the game to defend itself from most incoming fire, as many shell types at its battle rating are able to easily penetrate and destroy the tank. The Leopard 1 was originally built with a "perfect standard tank" idea, similar to the Main Battle Tank concept, as during its development, the armour has been considered an expendable quality and that superior speed and firepower is most important. Therefore the Leopard's armour design was only meant to withstand 20mm calibers from the front. A big threat is the [[ZSU-57-2|ZSU-57]], which gives any Leopard 1 a hard time with its high rate of fire of effective 57mm AP rounds.

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
*Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides (Slope angle) !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 70 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 50 mm (51°) ''Bottom glacis'' || 35 (40-42°) mm ''Top hull side'' 30 mm ''Bottom hull side'' || 25 mm (12-47°) || 30 mm ''Front area'' 15 mm ''Rear area''
|-
| Turret || 65 mm ''Turret front'' 45 - 200 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 37-45 mm (28-31°) || 25-52 mm (26-72°) || 25-35 mm ''Turret roof'' 20 mm ''Cupola area''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* The turret mantlet has varying thicknesses ranging from 45 - 200 mm. It is thickest near the centre in contrast to the borders where it is the thinnest.

=== Mobility ===
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |Game Mode
! colspan="2" |Max Speed (km/h)
! rowspan="2" |Weight (tons)
! colspan="2" |Engine Power (Horsepower)
! colspan="2" |Power to Weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
!Forward
!Reverse
!Stock
!Upgraded
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|Arcade
|72
|28
| rowspan="2" |40
|1286
|1584
|32.15
|39.6
|-
|Realistic
|65
|25
|734
|830
|18.35
|20.75
|}

{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 1286|rbMinHp= 734|}}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|L7A3 (105 mm)}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[L7A3 (105 mm)|105 mm L7A3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 60 || rowspan="2" | -9°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 22.85 || 31.62 || 38.40 || 42.46 || 45.18 || rowspan="2" | 8.7 || rowspan="2" | 7.7 || rowspan="2" | 7.1 || rowspan="2" | 6.7
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.4 || 22.60 || 24.00

|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| DM13 || APDS || 303 || 302 || 296 || 277 || 257 || 252
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| DM13 || APDS || 1478 || 5.8 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 75° || 78° || 80°
|-
| DM502 || HESH || 730 || 15 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 4,310 || +0° || 75° || 78° || 80°
|-
| DM12 || HEATFS || 1173 || 11 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 1,270 || +0° || 65° || 72° || 75°
|-
|}

'''DM13 ''APDS''''' (Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot) will comfortably penetrate the armour of most foes; be aware however that some vehicles such as the IS-4 or M103 are only vulnerable in specific weak spots. APDS rounds do require some finesse with their placement, and because of the lack of explosive filler, unless you're confident you can destroy the enemy before they can respond, you should attempt to disable their weaponry first to ensure your own safety. Against targets with known ammunition storage, it's possible to try to detonate it with a well-placed shot; keep in mind, however, that ammo detonations always occur with a random chance, taking out crew members is more reliable to destroy your enemies. This, of course, requires knowledge about the vehicles you may face - so be sure to use the game's X-Ray view in the hangar and analyse your potential foes for their weak spots! Also, keep in mind that with increased armour thickness the amount of shrapnels shrinks.

'''DM12 ''HEAT-FS''''' (High-Explosive Anti Tank Fin Stabilised): Knowledge of potential opponents vehicle layouts can be very handy - as you now have a round at your disposal that can penetrate essentially any vehicle's armour frontally. Like the APDS shot, increased armour thickness results in a reduced amount of shrapnel after penetration. You are able to take out enemies on any distance since the HEAT round does not lose penetration effectiveness with distance - very handy on big scaled maps like Kursk. There is, however, a significant downside to HEATFS: Given that it is a chemical energy round, its fuse is highly sensitive in regards to its practical application in battle. As a result, virtually anything, such as trees or even a fence, will set it off prematurely, so you cannot fire through obstructions with this kind of round. It's often a good idea to clear bushes and fences with your machine guns quickly before taking a shot. Finally, the HEATFS round is relatively expensive in terms of SL, so keep that in mind when loading up.

'''DM502 ''HESH''''' (High-Explosive Squash-Head) works very differently than other shell types. It ignores any angle, except for ricochet and deals damage by metal-flakes which are blown off inside the armour by the exterior explosion. To create this deadly shrapnel inside the tank, make sure to only hit armour plates which are directly adjacent to the interior crew compartment of the tank. Hitting exterior parts of a tank like spaced armour, the suspension, tracks etc. will not harm crew members/modules at all. Unfortunately, HESH is particularly ineffective against particularly high true armour values (as opposed to high 'effective' armour values sourced from highly angled but thin armour - HESH loves angles!). Like all high-explosive shells, the fuse is very sensitive and can be set-off by most objects e.g. fences, trees, shrubbery. The low muzzle velocity of this shell can make it quite hard to hit targets at larger distances, although an experienced tanker may be able to use this to their advantage by lobbing a round over a small deffolade or hill. It's also worth noting that HESH can be rather unreliable at times; it's best used as a fall-back ammo, or saved for particularly lightly armoured targets.

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_LeopardI.png|right|thumbnail|Ammo racks of the Leopard I.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''60''' || 58 ''(+2)'' || 47 ''(+13)'' || 43 ''(+17)'' || 40 ''(+20)'' || 1 ''(+59)'' || No
|-
|}

Turret empty: 47 (+13)

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)}}The {{PAGENAME}} mounts one coaxial 7.62 machine gun and one pintle-mounted 7.62 machine gun. These both have particularly high rates of fire, and can be used as a deterrent for close air support as well as clearing light obstacles and crew in open-top vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG 3A1 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm MG 3A1]]
|-
! Mount
! Capacity (Belt)
! Fire rate
! Vertical
! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial mount || 4,500 (1,000) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle mount || 2,000 (1,000) || 1,200 || -8°/+20° || ±120°
|-
|}

== Usage in the battles ==

Scan and use the terrain to your advantage. Take into consideration the moderate vehicle height, which allows you to go turret down in certain locations, allowing you to safely use your commander's binoculars to locate targets. Then, after you have located the enemy, fire a few rounds in quick succession and relocate when spotted, especially when the enemy shots come dangerously close. The Leopard is quite fast, so taking hits from a distance while on the move is a risk that you may consider worth taking.

Always remember: The Leopard is not designed to take hits from any guns, nor fight in stand-off situations against heavier enemy vehicles. Frontally, the angle of the hull can bounce shots once in a while, but you're better off not to rely on this. The turret front is also the same, it's best to attempt to only fire when you can avoid receiving a shot or relocating to a position if possible. The main goal is to make the opponent incapable of returning fire. The majority of Russian rank V tanks ([[IS-3]], [[IS-4M]], [[T-10M]], [[T-54 (1951)|T-54s]], [[SU-122-54]], [[T-62]] or [[ZSU-57-2]]) gunners are disabled by penetrating the right side of the turret or hull, if they are faced towards you. If you have the possibility to hit a Russian tank's hull, which is again faced towards you, prioritize it, because it is likely to take it out with one shot to the right side of the hull (3 out of 4 crew member are sitting in a row), this does not work with the stock APDS round due to the poor damage output. American top rank tanks like the [[M103]], [[M47]] or [[M60]] are harder to take out. It is advised to take out the gunner first, which is located in the left side of the turret and then take out the rest of the remaining crew members. Hitting the ammo rack of your opponent is often the fastest way to take out an enemy vehicle, keep in mind though there is a small chance the ammo will not blow up (Best ammo types to ammo rack: HEAT-FS > HESH > APDS).
[[File:Leopard 1 vs T55AM.png|thumb|600x600px|Leopard I Engaging a T-55AM at Cargo Port]]
Sometimes moving is not an option, but remember, directly behind your hull front sits a large portion of your ammunition, at least if you're fully loaded. Always have that in mind when positioning yourself against the enemy - and don't forget that you don't have to stack all of your ammunition racks to their maximum capacity! Sometimes it can be wise to take less ammunition with you, as it will increase your survivability when taking hits - especially with the Leopard. The Leopards worst nemesis is the [[ZSU-57-2]] and the [[IT-1]]. The [[ZSU-57-2]] can be easily destroyed by hitting one of the many ammo racks in the big turret, which often leads to an explosion of the whole tank. The [[IT-1]] on the other hand can be quite hard to deal with, since they are able to operate perfectly hull down only exposing the roof mounted ATGM. Destroying (only black damage status counts, red damage does not prevent from firing ATGM) the rocket mount/cannon barrel forces the [[IT-1]] to repair for a whole 27 seconds (maxed out + expert crew).

The Leopard 1 holds a distinct advantage over almost every other tank it will face - it's almost always faster. While in a direct shoot-out, most other vehicles can take out the Leopard, using the mobility advantage of the Leopard will allow a good tanker to get into an advantageous position and take out targets before they get the opportunity to respond. However, ensure you are aware of your surroundings and have a fall-back option: getting caught off guard on the back of a hill with nowhere to back off to and with no real support is a death sentence.

Depending on the map and opponents, ammunition choices may vary however usually it's ideal to have HEATFS as primary ammunition (reasonably easy to use at range, reliable penetration values), APDS as a backup (extremely easy to use at range, particularly with the Leo's excellent optics) and a couple of HESH rounds to deal with any light targets you might encounter. Try to keep round storage to a minimum but keep in mind that with these ammunition choices often it will take a number of rounds to guarantee a destroyed target.

''In a nutshell:'' Use the superb mobility with the cannon's perfection to flank and spank enemies, wait and hunt for the perfect positions and pick off the enemy tanks one by one, while always maintaining a good situational awareness. Patience is the key to success.
===Modules===
{| class="wikitable"
!Tier
! colspan="2" |Mobility
!Protection
! colspan="3" |Firepower
|-
|I
|Tracks
|
|Parts
|Horizontal Drive
|Smoke grenade
|
|-
|II
|Suspension
|Brake System
|FPE
|Adjustment of Fire
|DM502
|
|-
|III
|Filters
|
|Crew Replenishment
|Elevation Mechanism
|NVD
|
|-
|IV
|Transmission
|Engine
|
|Artillery Support
|DM12
|Rangefinder
|-
|}
=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Fast and very agile when fully upgraded
* High-penetration APDS and HEAT rounds
* HESH rounds extremely effective against light targets
* Reasonably fast reload time, can be reduced to 6.7 seconds
* Good gun elevation and depression
* Reasonably good turret traverse rate
* Access to smoke grenades
* Relatively small, moderately low profile
* Excellent reverse speed
* A well coordinated squad of Leopards can effectively take over a match
* Potential to be an extremely efficient vehicle in the right hands
* Some parts of the turret (mainly the mantlet) can bounce rounds from the right angles
* Reasonably low repair cost

'''Cons:'''

* Essentially non-existent armour that can't stop any more than 20mm rounds reliably
* No main gun stabiliser
* Tankers unaccustomed to APDS may struggle with the stock vehicle
* Stock accuracy is sub-par
* HEATFS shells are expensive at 920 SL
* Does not have the HESH round when stock
* Like all MBTs, there is ammunition stored adjacent to the driver
* 4-man crew complement, reasonably close-packed
* Easy prey for high-calibre autocannons such as those found on the ZSU-57-2
* HEATFS and APDS rounds have sub-par post-penetration effectiveness, often taking multiple rounds to destroy vehicles

== History ==

===Development===
The project for the Leopard started as far back as 1956 as an attempt to replace the American [[M41 (90 mm)|M47]] and [[M48A1|M48 Patton]] tanks in service at the time as they were becoming outdated to newer anti-tank technology. Specifications for the new tank came in July 1957 asking for a design weighing no more than 30 tons, with a power-to-weight ratio of 30 horsepower per ton and could withstand 20 mm gunfire alongside protection against chemical weapons and radiation fallout, which was becoming extremely common protection system for the modern tank designs. The design stressed mobility as the main focus, while firepower comes next and armour was relegated to minimum priority. The lack of focus on the armour was because of the belief that no matter how much armour a tank can have, it will eventually fall obsolete to the advent of newer anti-tank weapons such as the HEAT rounds, which was becoming stronger and stronger by the years.

In the initial stages of development, France and West Germany, interested in this tank design, worked on it from 1957 to build a common tank and the project was designated the ''Europa-Panzer''. France had AMX, SLD Lorraine, and SOMUA with FCM Renault working on the project, while Germany had Porsche, Rheinmetall with Henschel, and Borgward working on the project. In 1958, Italy entered into the development as well, though it's not sure if they provided much to the program. By 1960, Porsche and Rheinmetall had prototypes submitted, as well as AMX from France, all the others failed to provide a prototype in time. In 1963, the Porsche prototype was selected as the winner in 1963, though even before this decision the vehicle already has priority in being built in greater number than the others. Though a tank is set, France and Germany split in the joint tank project in 1963 after France opted out of standardization with the NATO forces. This left Germany alone with their Leopard tank development, which they continued.

The Porsche Prototype II was well received, though changes were made to the design such as a new cast turret, hull design change, and relocating the radiators. The tank now mounted the 105mm L7 gun over the Rheinmetall design, as well as adding an optical range-finding system for increased gunnery. The design finished trials by the end of 1963 and production started in Munich in February of 1964. The first batches began arriving at the Bundeswehr (German Army) in September of 1965 and were put into units by November of that same year. The tank was finally designated the '''Leopard 1''', with the prototype stage labelled as the ''Leopard 1A0''.

===Usage===
After the first delivery, many upgrades were made on the tank throughout its production and service life. The first few Leopards were designated ''Leopard 1A1'' and continued all the way to ''Leopard 1A6'' as it incorporates new technology such as sights, gun, radios, armor, or even small upgrades or redesigns on some parts. Some of these Leopards are even upgraded further in each variant form, for example, the ''[[Leopard A1A1|Leopard 1A1A1]]'' which had it fitted with new turret armor and night sights. Other than the different variants, the Leopard 1 was also extensively modified or made into derivatives in roles such as anti-aircraft guns, armor recovery vehicles, bridge layers, and such.

The versatility of the Leopard 1 design and its rather cheap cost in comparison to other tanks at the time made it a useful tank and it was sought out by many different countries in and out of the NATO force group. These countries put them into service in the conflict, such as Denmark, which is believed to be the first country to use the Leopard 1 in hostile engagement, when going against Bosnian Serb forces. Canada also used the Leopard 1C2 in the War in Afghanistan from 2006-2011. Greece also had Leopard 1s and is the largest user of it, with over 500 units of ''Leopard 1A5s'' still in service.

The Leopard 1 versatility and widespread use compared to other tanks in the NATO service made it a very useful weapon system for armies that couldn't afford the new American Pattons or Abrams tanks or the British Challengers and [[Chieftain Mk 3|Chieftains]]. The Leopard 1 in German service was eventually replaced by the Leopard 2 design, which entered into service in 1979 as the main battle tank with better armor and better gun compared to the Leopard 1, fully replacing it in 2003. Other countries followed suit by upgrading their tanks to either the Leopard 2, the American M1 Abrams, or their own domestic tank designs. The vehicle in its various modernized forms is still operated by third parties such as , Brazil, Turkey, and Greece. Some are kept in reserve in Chile and Ecuador due to their light frames and ease of use in soft soils like in the jungles in their countries.

In 1974, the Australian government purchased 101 Leopard 1 tanks (90 MBTs, 5 bridge-laying variants, and 6 recovery vehicles). the first leopard 1s arrived in Australia in 1976 and served with the 1st Armoured Regiment. The Leopard 1 was retired from service in July 2007.

The Belgian army received 334 Leopard 1s, equipping 8 tank regiments with 40 Leopard 1s each. The Belgian Leopards were retired from service in 2014.

Canada received 127 Leopard 1 C1 tanks in 1978-1979 to replace the Centurion tank. starting in 2000, the Canadian government upgraded the Leopard 1 C1 to Leopard 1 C2. the Leopard C2 is now obsolete and the Canadian government has opted to use the Leopard 2.

In 1976, Denmark acquired 120 Leopard 1A3 tanks. Denmark acquired another 110 Leopard 1A3 tanks in 1992, and upgraded all for a total of 230 Leopard 1A5-DKs tanks. Denmark no longer uses Leopard 1 tanks as an MBT (replaced by leopard 2), but still uses an armored recovery vehicle variant.

Germany used a total of 2,437 Leopard 1 tanks, of various variants. The remaining Leopard 1s are in storage, replaced by the Leopard 2.

From 1971-1985, Italy obtained (Purchased from other countries or Built under license) 920 Leopard 1 tanks and 250 Special Variants. Italian Leopard 1 MBTs were retired from service by 2008, and are replaced with the native Italian C1-Ariele tank. Armored recovery vehicles and bridge-laying variants remain in service.

The Netherlands operated 468 Leopard 1 tanks, and are replaced with Leopard 2 tanks. Armored recovery vehicles and bridge-laying variants remain in service.

Norway operated 172 Leopard 1 tanks, the last Leopard 1 decommissioned in 2011, and are replaced with Leopard 2 tanks. Armored recovery vehicles and bridge-laying variants remain in service.

Brazil currently operates 128 Leopard 1BE and 250 Leopard 1A5.

Chile used to operate 202 Leopard 1V, but sold some and currently have 120 in service.

Equador purchased all 60 of their Leopard tanks from Chile.

Greece bought 104 Leopard 1A3s in 1983. during 1992, Greece received a further 75 Leopard 1A5. Greece purchased another 192 used Leopard 1A5s. Greece is now the current operator of the most Leopard 1 tank.

Lebanon purchased 43 Belgian Leopard 1A5.

Turkey bought and upgraded 170 Leopard 1A1 tanks and upgraded all to Leopard 1T 'Volkan'. Turkey also purchased 227 A3 variants.

=== In-game description ===
"Development of the tank began in 1957 in cooperation with France. However, this attempt to create a unified European tank was unsuccessful. The projects in both countries were conducted virtually in parallel, but in 1963, before the end of comparative testing of the French and German tanks, Germany declined to cooperate further with France. Each country began to build its own national tank — the Leopard in Germany, the AMX-30 in France.

During the development of the Leopard 1 among all combat characteristics preference was given to firepower and mobility. Later, due to the German engineers’ changing perspective on the significance of tank defenses in modern combat, a number of steps were taken to increase it.
The first production order of 1,500 tanks was placed in 1963, and in September, 1965 the first serial Leopard 1 was delivered to the Bundeswehr."

== Media ==


;Skins

* [http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=germ_leopard_I '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the Leopard 1 from live.warthunder.com]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|xHEIjV0e4Tc|'''"Leopard 1 Tank Review"''' - ''CornyBros''|pIH1dnzqoNk|'''"LEOPARD Top Tier Gameplay!"''' - ''PhlyDaily''|4GxNndsDlH4|'''"War Thunder Leopard 1 - Review and Gameplay!"''' - ''JustMax''|SKeFUWKudoY|'''The Shooting Range #63''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 00:33 discusses the Leopard I.|GgC8UNa8dok|'''Leopard I vs STB-1''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

==References==
<references />

== Read also ==


* [https://warthunder.com/en/devblog/current/792/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard 1] 
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/3325/current/ Official War Thunder forum article: [Vehicle Profile<nowiki>]</nowiki> Leopard I]

== Sources ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Germany medium tanks}}