Leopard 3 | |
---|---|
Type | Main battle tank |
Place of origin | Germany |
Production history | |
Designer | KNDS Deutschland, Rheinmetall and Hensoldt [1] |
Designed | Since 2025 [2] |
Developed from | Leopard 2A8 |
Produced | Expected in the 2030s |
Specifications | |
Crew | 3 (driver, gunner, commander) |
Shell | DM11, DM13, DM23 |
Shell weight | 30 kg (66 lb) |
Caliber | 130mm |
Effective firing range | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
Main armament | 130mm Rheinmetall L/51 smoothbore gun |
The Leopard 3, also known as the Leopard 2AX, [3] is a fourth-generation German main battle tank (MBT). [4] [5]
Germany plans to purchase the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) as a successor to the Leopard 2 (variants 2A5, 2A6 and 2A7). This tank won't be ready before the 2040s. The German Army expressed new needs for an interim solution. Early 2025, the development of this Leopard 3 was kicked of, and it is expected to enter production in the early 2030s. [6] [7] [8]
It is designed with a service life of 25 years. [9]
As of July 2025, the German Army expressed a need for 1,000 additional tanks that would be made of Leopard 2A8, Leopard 3 and MGCS. [10]
The changes that were mentioned from the Leopard 2A8 include: [9]