Leclerc S2

This page is about the French medium tank Leclerc S2. For other versions, see Leclerc (Family).

Leclerc S2

Leclerc

Leclerc SXXI

Leclerc S2

Leclerc

Leclerc SXXI

France

VIII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
12.0	12.0	12.0

Class:

Medium tank

Research:200 000

Purchase:1 100 000

Description

The Leclerc Séries 2 is the second variant of the Leclerc main battle tank family. Nexter Systems designed and produced it with the ability to be deployed in desert regions. A total of 134 units of the Leclerc Séries 1 were produced for service before being replaced on the assembly line in 1997 by the Leclerc Séries 2, which primarily features a hybrid air conditioner to cool the computer system as well as an independent air conditioning unit installed on the back roof behind the gunner's hatch. Other enhancements include an additional splash guard added to the front hull, a remote-operated hydraulic track tensioner, bolt-on appliqué armour on each hull sponson, and the replacement of the Athos thermal imaging equipment on the gunner's sight with the new Iris thermal imaging equipment. A total of 176 units were manufactured.

Introduced in Update "New Power", the Leclerc Séries 2 is almost identical to the Leclerc Séries 1, apart from a few improvements, such as a new nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) protective system and air conditioner, which are not reflected in the game. With its high mobility and autoloader, the Leclerc Séries 2 may play a variety of roles on the battlefield. Its mobility allows it to get into advantageous positions for sniping or ambushing, and the autoloader allows for quick responses and follow-up shots against enemies. Its survivability is best when hull down from a hill, as most of its vulnerable areas, except the tank gun breech, are effectively hidden. Avoid close-range combat because the numerous hull weak points are visible and targetable in urban environments.

General info

Survivability and armour

ERA

Effective action against the cumulative ammunition

Composite armour

Balanced protection against all types of ammunition

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull80 / 35 / 20

Turret90 / 90 / 20

Crew3 people

Visibility90 %

The Leclerc S2 is virtually the same inside as the S1, excluding a few upgrades not functional in-game, such as a new NBC protection system and air conditioner. The turret cheeks (>600 mm KE) are well protected, with the middle glacis plate providing 720 mm chemical and 550 mm kinetic protection. The flat plate below the gunner's thermal optic provides 500 mm of protection against KE.

Armour	Front	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	Upper Glacis: 140-300 mm APFSDS sloped at 77 degrees	30-65 mm Front 20-55 mm Back	10-20 mm	5-25mm
Turret	600-800 mm APFSDS Turret cheeks 500 mm APFSDS / 570 mm HEAT Gunner's optic	180+mm APFSDS, 230+mm HEAT	Ammo storage: 45mm APFSDS, 270 mm HEAT (with integrated ERA blocks) Turret back: 20 mm	20-40 mm
Cannon	90-460 mm against APFSDS	N/A	N/A	N/A

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB80 / 42 km/h

RB and SB72 / 38 km/h

Number of gears10 forward

4 back

Weight56.2 t

Engine power

AB2 862 hp

RB and SB1 500 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB50.9 hp/t

RB and SB26.7 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	80	42	56.2	2,325	2,862	41.37	50.93
Realistic	72	38		1,327	1,500	23.61	26.69

The Leclerc S2 is powered by the same engine as the S1, the Wärtsilä V8X-1500. Outputting 1,500 hp and using a special gas turbine turbocharger (which can also act as the vehicle's APU, and eliminating turbo lag), the Leclerc S2 has great mobility for its class at 26.69 hp/ton. However, it weighs 2.5t more than the S1, which makes for noticeable sluggishness without engine upgrades.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB4 712 → 7 011

RB4 567 → 6 795

SB5 780 → 8 600

Total cost of modifications287 700

483 000

Talisman cost3 200

Crew training310 000

Experts1 100 000

Aces2 300

Research Aces1 350 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

160 / 200 / 210 %

256 / 256 / 256 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 21 000 Cost: 32 000 430 Suspension Research: 18 000 Cost: 28 000 370 Brake System Research: 18 000 Cost: 28 000 370 Filters Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 330 Transmission Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 410 Engine Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 410	Improved Parts Research: 6 300 Cost: 32 000 430 Improved FPE Research: 5 400 Cost: 28 000 370 Crew Replenishment Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 330	Horizontal Drive Research: 21 000 Cost: 32 000 430 Adjustment of Fire Research: 18 000 Cost: 28 000 370 Elevation Mechanism Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 330 Laser rangefinder Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 330 Smoke grenade Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 330 Artillery Support Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 410 120mm_NATO_APDS_FS_ammo_pack Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 410 NVD Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 410

Armaments

Laser rangefinder

Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder

Night vision device

Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Thermal imager

Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Main armament

120 mm GIAT CN120-26 F1 cannon

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Autoloader

Automatically feeds projectiles into the breech. The speed does not depend on the skills of the loader

Ammunition40 rounds

First-order22 rounds

Reload5.0 s

Vertical guidance-8° / 20°

Like its predecessor, the Leclerc S2 is equipped with the CN120-26 F1 L/52 cannon. It can fire three shells: a stock HEATFS round, and two APFSDS shells. The OFL 120 F1, which shares the same penetrator as the DM43, slices through over 550 mm of armour past 1 km. Although this isn't as competitive as some contemporaries, it still performs very well against enemy MBTs. The 120 F1 shell also has a velocity of 1,790 m/s which makes for very good ballistics and low bullet drop. Although powerful, the 120 F1 round is a Tier IV modification; like most other MBTs, the Leclerc starts out with a stock HEATFS shell. Although powerful against light vehicles and SPAA, the HEATFS is redundant against your opponents. You have an APFSDS shell as a Tier I modification, however, one must note that it penetrates only 425 mm of armour even at close range.

Unlike most of its Western contemporaries (excluding the Type 90 and the CV 90120), the Leclerc S2 is equipped with an autoloader. This gives it a steady rate of fire of 6 seconds, tied with an aced crew level of the M1A2 Abrams and the Leopard 2. This gives it great follow-up shot potential out of the box without the need for crew upgrading. Also equipped with powerful thermals for the gunner, the Leclerc can pick off unsuspecting targets with great efficiency.

120 mm GIAT CN120-26 F1					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Autoloader
Arcade	40	-8°/+20°	±180°	Two-plane	28.6	39.5	48.0	53.1	56.5	6.00
Realistic					17.9	21.0	25.5	28.2	30.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
OCC 120 G1	HEATFS	480	480	480	480	480	480
OFL 120 G1	APFSDS	425	423	417	410	404	396
OFL 120 F1	APFSDS	575	573	565	557	547	537

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
OCC 120 G1	HEATFS	1,100	14.4	0.05	0.1	2.15	65°	72°	77°
OFL 120 G1	APFSDS	1,780	3.8	-	-	-	78°	80°	81°
OFL 120 F1	APFSDS	1,790	3.8	-	-	-	78°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Leclerc S2. Bustle ammo rack is behind blast doors. Hull ammo rack is inside fuel tank.

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	Visual discrepancy
40	23 (+17)	1 (+39)	No

Note:

• Hull stowage empty: 23 (+17) shells.

Machine guns

12.7 mm CRC F1 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition800 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reload8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	800 (200)	575	-	-

Usage in battles

With great mobility and an autoloading 120 mm cannon, the Leclerc can be exploited to fulfil a number of roles on the battlefield. Mobility enables it to get into competitive spots for sniping or ambushing, and the gun's performance enables quick response and follow-up shots to any enemy that appears. Its survivability is best while hull down or poking out from a hill, as most of its vulnerable areas excluding the cannon breech (and sometimes the LFP when poking out from cover) are hidden well enough. Try to avoid close quarters combat (CQC) as the Leclerc's numerous hull weak spots can be easily seen and targeted in urban environments. If CQC is inevitable (i.e. Rhine, Sweden, Novorossiysk), then the Leclerc can be used to ambush distracted tanks and poke out of cover. When shot at or damaged, use your smoke grenades to retreat into cover. 14 smoke grenades give two separate discharges, or if discharged all at once, provide 360 degrees of smoke for you to retreat behind.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• The OFL 120 F1 APFSDS round is effective
• Autoloader allows for consistent reloads
• Competitive mobility and great reverse speed
• Has 2nd generation thermals for the gunner
• Large first-stage ammo stowage
• Lower profile compared to its contemporaries
• Relatively fast gun elevation/depression speeds

Cons:

• No thermal optics for commander
• Noticeable weak spots at close range or when not hull down
• Cannon breech is easy to hit at any range
• 10 mm armour protection for the engine: 12.7 mm rounds can set afire and immobilize you
• Only three crew members
• Abysmal performance when stock
• Heavier than the Leclerc S1 - slightly reduced mobility and acceleration
• The mantlet can easily be penetrated, even by lower tier guns and at distance - the mantlet is hard to hide
• Lower frontal plate does not have any composites, meaning a penetration on the front is mostly incapacitating or downright lethal
• Slower than average turret traverse rate

History

The Leclerc Série 2 Tranche 6 was the 9th version of the Leclerc (counting prototypes) which had minor improvements compared to the previous Leclerc Série 1 Tranche 2-5. It featured an increase on the commander's optic periscope armour to STANAG 3. An air conditioner was added, as well as lockable baskets and boxes on the turret's bustle. A wave deflector was added at the frontal plate, as well as addition of one piece rubber plating on side skirts. Later models of the S2, more specifically the Leclerc S2T9, were retrofitted with V5 tracks instead of V2 tracks as well as a new General Purpose Sight (gunner's optics) at the end of their life service in order to standardise them for further Leclerc Série 3 also known as SXXI.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Leclerc S2 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Lethal Leclerc: Leclerc S2 Review - Sako Sniper

Leclerc S2 - Fantastic 4K French Performance - Napalmratte

The Balanced Baguette S2 - Leclerc S2 - JustinPlaysYT

See also

Related development

• Leclerc (Family)

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.

Nexter Systems*
MBTs	Leclerc · Leclerc S2 · Leclerc SXXI
	*GIAT Industries became Nexter Systems in 2006