Leopard 2 is a modern German third-generation main battle tank. The first prototypes of the machine were manufactured in 1973, and serial production began in 1979, and continues to this day. As of today (2018), 3,480 tanks of this type have been produced. The Leopard 2 is equipped with a MTU MB 873 Ka 501 engine with a power of 1,500 hp. The vehicle is armed with one 120 mm Rheinmetall Rh-M-120 machine gun and two 7.62 mm MG3 machine guns. The Leopard 2 was developed to respond to the need for a new main battle tank announced by the Bundeswehr back in the early 1960s. The new vehicle is intended to replace the Leopard 1 tanks in the Western German army. Initially, cooperation with American companies (for example, Chrysler) was carried out within the framework of a project designated as MBT-70. However, after a few years, the work was stopped and the work was focused exclusively on German companies. Despite the very long process of analytical, exploratory and experimental work, which lasted for almost 15 years, the introduction of Leopard 2 in 1979 turned out to be revolutionary and revolutionary to current Soviet developments. Many analysts consider it the first third-generation tank in history, including the M1 Abrams, the French Leclerc or the older Russian T-90 tank. Leopard 2 is primarily characterized by its unimpaired maneuverability and maneuverability among tanks of this class, which was not achieved until 1979, thanks to a powerful 1,500 hp engine. It also has very good armor, using composites and a fire control system. It was also armed with the miraculous Rh-M-120 cartridge, which became the standard for many NATO countries in the 1980s and 1990s. As a result of serial production, several modifications of the tank were created. Leopard 2, two of which deserve special attention: A 4 and A 6. The A 4 version, which was first introduced in 1985, has been greatly improved and shortened in comparison with previous versions of the SKO, and also has a shortened tower and front part armored hull. This is also the version that is most widely exported. At the beginning of the 21st century, the A 6 version was created, which mainly received the Rh-M-120 ammunition with a significantly longer barrel (L/55), which significantly reduced its armor penetration. The latest development of the Leopard 2 tank is the A 7 version, which entered service with the Bundeswehr in 2014. Due to its very high combat value, the Leopard 2 was exported to many countries, including Austria, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland, which has 247 tanks of this type in the A4 and A5 versions.
