This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Leopard 1" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(October 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Kampfpanzer Leopard 1
German Leopard 1A5 at the 2015 Military Day in Uffenheim
Type
Main battle tank
Place of origin
West Germany
Service history
In service
1965–present
Wars
Bosnian War
Kurdish–Turkish conflict
War in Afghanistan
Russian invasion of Ukraine
Production history
Designer
Porsche
Designed
1956–1961
Manufacturer
KraussMaffei OTO Melara
Produced
1965–1984
No. built
6565
4744 main battle tanks 1741 utility and anti-aircraft vehicles 80 prototypes and pre-series vehicles
Specifications
Mass
42.2 tonnes (increased on later models from original 40 tonnes)[1]
Length
9.54/8.29 m (gun forward/rearward)
Width
3.37 m
Height
2.39/2.7 m (turret roof/absolute)
Crew
4 (commander, driver, gunner, radio operator/loader)
Armour
Steel: 10–70 mm RHAe
Main armament
1 × 105 mm Royal Ordnance L7A3 L/52 rifled gun
(13 rounds in turret 42 rounds in hull)
Secondary armament
2 × 7.62 mm MG 3 or FN MAG (co-axial and commander's hatch) (5500 rounds)
Engine
MTU MB 838 CaM 500, 10-cylinder, 37.4 litres, multi-fuel engine 830 PS (819 hp, 610 kW) at 2,200 RPM
Power/weight
19.6 PS (14.5 kW) /tonne
Suspension
Torsion bar
Operational range
600 km (on road), 450 km (cross-country)
Maximum speed
65 km/h
The Kampfpanzer Leopard (styled as Kampfpanzer Leopard 1 or Leopard I after the introduction of the Leopard 2) 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.
The design started as a collaborative project during the 1950s between West Germany and France, and later joined by Italy,[1] but the partnership ended shortly after and the final design was ordered by the Bundeswehr, with full-scale production starting in 1965. In total, 6485 Leopard tanks have been built, of which 4744 were battle tanks and 1741 were utility and anti-aircraft variants, not including 80 prototypes and pre-series vehicles.
The Leopard quickly became a standard of many European militaries, and eventually served as the main battle tank in over a dozen countries worldwide, with West Germany, Italy and the Netherlands being the largest operators until their retirement. Since 1990, the Leopard 1 has gradually been relegated to secondary roles in most armies. In the German Army, the Leopard 1 was completely phased out in 2003 by the Leopard 2, while Leopard 1-based vehicles are still widely used in utility roles.
The Leopard 2 has replaced the Leopard 1 in service with many other nations, with derived vehicles using the Leopard 1 hull still seeing service. Currently, the largest operators are Greece, with 520 vehicles, Turkey, with 397 vehicles, Brazil with 378 vehicles and Chile with 202 vehicles. Most of these vehicles have been upgraded with various improvements to armour, firepower and sensors to maintain their ability to engage modern threats.
^ abGelbart, Marsh (1996). Tanks main battle and light tanks. Brassey’s UK Ltd. pp. 109–110. ISBN 1-85753-168-X.
The Kampfpanzer Leopard (styled as Kampfpanzer Leopard1 or Leopard I after the introduction of the Leopard 2) is a main battle tank designed by Porsche...
1979 and replaced the earlier Leopard1 as the main battle tank of the West German army. Various iterations of the Leopard 2 continue to be operated by...
The leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the five extant species in the genus Panthera. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped...
Mac OS X Snow Leopard (version 10.6) (also referred to as OS X Snow Leopard) is the seventh major release of macOS, Apple's desktop and server operating...
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia), occasionally called ounce, is a species of large cat in the genus Panthera of the family Felidae. The species is native...
The Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is a leopard subspecies native to the Primorye region of southeastern Russia and northern China. It is listed...
2E or Leopard 2A6E (E stands for España (Spanish for 'Spain')) is a variant of the German Leopard 2 main battle tank (specifically the Leopard 2A6 variant)...
The leopard gecko or common leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) is a ground-dwelling gecko native to the rocky dry grassland and desert regions of...
The African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) is the nominate subspecies of the leopard, native to many countries in Africa. It is widely distributed in...
The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), also called mainland clouded leopard, is a wild cat inhabiting dense forests from the foothills of the Himalayas...
production Leopard 1, a German tank introduced in 1965 Leopard 2, a German tank introduced in 1979, successor to the Leopard1Leopard 2E, a Spanish version...
officially naming the Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog as the state dog. On January 1, 1995, the Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog was recognized by the United Kennel...
The Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) is a subspecies of the leopard (P. pardus) widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent. It is threatened by...
German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) based on the hull of the Leopard1. It was developed in the 1960s, fielded in the 1970s, and has been upgraded...
The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) is a small wild cat native to continental South, Southeast, and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as...
February 2015). "Germany receives upgraded Leopard 2 tanks as part of deal with Canada". The Ottawa Citizen. p. 1. Archived from the original on 30 December...
The leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), also referred to as the sea leopard, is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic (after the southern...
tulliana, also called Anatolian leopard, Persian leopard and Caucasian leopard in different parts of its range, is a leopard subspecies that was first described...
including the Centurion (starting from the Mk. 5/2 variant), the German Leopard1 and, in an altered design, as the M68 gun in several variants of the US...
Mac OS X Leopard (version 10.5) is the sixth major release of macOS, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Leopard was released...
The Formosan clouded leopard is a clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) population that was endemic to Taiwan. Camera trapping studies carried out in several...
The leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata) is a species of houndshark, in the family Triakidae. It is found along the Pacific coast of North America, from...
Leopard attacks are attacks inflicted upon humans, other leopards and other animals by the leopard. The frequency of leopard attacks on humans varies by...
ordered by the Bundeswehr, production of the German Leopard1 starting in 1965. In total, 6,485 Leopard I tanks were built, of which 4,744 were battle tanks...
The Bergepanzer 2 is an armored recovery vehicle based on the Leopard1 main battle tank, developed in the 1960s and manufactured by Atlas-MaK Maschinenbau...
The Leopard (Italian: Il Gattopardo [il ˌɡattoˈpardo]) is a novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa that chronicles the changes in Sicilian life and society...
Global Information
