The Kampfpanzer Leopard is a main battle tank designed by Porsche and manufactured by Krauss-Maffei in West Germany, first entering service in 1965. Developed in an era when HEAT warheads were thought to make conventional heavy armour of limited value, the Leopard design focused on effective firepower and mobility instead of heavy protection. It featured moderate armour, only effective against low caliber autocannons and heavy machine guns, giving it a high power-to-weight ratio. This, coupled with a modern suspension and drivetrain, gave the Leopard superior mobility and cross-country performance compared to most other main battle tanks of the era, only being rivaled by the French AMX-30 and Swedish Strv 103. The main armament of the Leopard consisted of a German license-built version of the British Royal Ordnance L7 105 mm rifled gun, one of the most effective and widespread tank guns of the era.
German Leopard 1A5 at the 2015 Military Day in Uffenheim
A Leopard 1 Prototype II
Several early Leopard tanks (0-series prototypes) preparing for parade duty, distinguished by the centrally-mounted IR/white searchlight and rectangular loader's hatch.
Bundeswehr Leopard 1 in 1967
The Leopard 2 is a third generation German main battle tank (MBT). Developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s, the tank entered service in 1979 and replaced the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the West German army. Various iterations of the Leopard 2 continue to be operated by the armed forces of Germany, as well as 13 other European countries, and several non-European countries, including Canada, Chile, Indonesia, and Singapore. Some operating countries have licensed the Leopard 2 design for local production and domestic development.
German Leopard 2A5 Tanks in 1996
A Leopard 2 PT15 with 105 mm smoothbore gun
A Leopard 2 prototype (1983)
The Leopard 2 T14 mod. with the modified turret housing composite armour