Germany has moved a step closer to building a new main battle tank — already dubbed Leopard 3 — with a contract issued for technical studies of 130mm ammunition, as well as a powerplant, protection systems, and other equipment. The resulting systems are expected to find their way into an interim tank that will be operated by the German military pending the arrival of an all-new Franco-German main battle tank. This more advanced tank may well also end up using some of the same equipment now being studied.
The German Armed Forces procurement office, the BAAINBw, published details of the technical studies on TED, the European online procurement platform. The announcements were first reported in the media by the German defense and security website hartpunkt. These reveal that technical studies have been commissioned to cover three different areas: firepower, mobility, and protection.
All of these new technologies are intended to be compatible with the existing Leopard 2 main battle tank. However, should they eventually be integrated into a single platform, the result will be a significantly different tank. This will likely be designated Leopard 3 — although it has also been described as the Leopard 2 AX or “the bridge solution.”
The study for 130mm ammunition will be conducted by Rheinmetall. This reflects a broader interest in moving to increased-caliber tank armament and the gun itself is something that Rheinmetall has been working on for some time now.
A size comparison of Rheinmetall’s original 120mm gun, its extended L55 variant, and an earlier, proposed 140mm type. The new 130mm design is shorter than the 120mm L55. Rheinmetall
This work is broken down into three components, for three different ammunition types: the DM13 rounds that will be used as qualification ammunition for trials; DM11 multifunctional high-explosive ammunition; and DM23 kinetic-energy anti-armor ammunition.
It was previously known that a large-caliber 130mm main gun was being planned for the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) a Franco-German project that seeks to field an advanced new main battle tank as well as a ‘system of systems’ of other crewed and uncrewed vehicles. The tank component is expected to ultimately replace Germany’s existing Leopard 2s, as well as France’s Leclercs.
Rheinmetall’s 130mm gun has also been around for some time.
The smoothbore gun, with 52 caliber lengths, was first revealed in prototype form in 2016. At the time, Rheinmetall said that the new gun would offer a 50 percent increase in kinetic energy compared with the 120mm gun used on the Leopard 2.
While this is significant, in terms of penetration power, the larger gun is also notably heavier and bulkier than the 120mm weapon. When it was unveiled, Rheinmetall said the 130mm gun weighed more than 7,700 pounds, compared with around 6,600 pounds for the 120mm gun. At the same time, the larger projectiles fired — each of which weighs more than 66 pounds and is around 4.2 feet long — require an automatic loader within a turret of revised design.
Rheinmetall’s 130mm tank gun. Note the difference in the size of the ammunition, at left, compared to a standard 120mm round. Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall has already carried out firing demonstrations with the 130mm gun, as well as extensive simulations and studies.
Meanwhile, Liebherr will be responsible for the study for a new engine, known as OLYMP. Like the 130mm main gun, this will be tailored for the ‘interim’ Leopard 3, but it could potentially have other applications too.
In the past, Liebherr has developed and produced engines for the Marder 1 infantry fighting vehicle as well as its successor, the Lynx KF41.
The BAAINBw description specifies a complete engine block, comprising the combustion engine itself as well as steering, manual gearbox, cooling system, combustion air filtration, and exhaust system. Also required are engine mounts to attach the power pack to the chassis, side gears, and connections to the control system and fuel supply. The study calls for the use of as many existing components from the Leopard 2 as possible.
Hensoldt and KNDS Deutschland are the two companies commissioned to study the increased level of protection for the Leopard 3.
This calls for the development of a “significantly more combat-capable variant of the MUSS,” a reference to Hensoldt’s existing Multifunctional Self-Protection System. This may result in a further enhancement of the MUSS 2.0 the company presented last year, for use on the Puma infantry fighting vehicle and other platforms.
The MUSS 2.0 installed on a Puma infantry fighting vehicle. Hensoldt
The current MUSS 2.0 is a lighter-weight and lower-profile system than the original MUSS. It essentially consists of four passive sensors located around the vehicle. Each of these sensors combined a missile and laser warning sensor, as well as a laser-based infrared jammer and an infrared countermeasures dispenser. The system is designed to defend against anti-tank guided missiles, but it can also detect tracer rounds, muzzle flashes, projectile fire, and low-power lasers. The MUSS 2.0 is able to detect different threats simultaneously, prioritize them, and then counter them, in semi- or fully autonomous modes. The threat database can also be regularly updated, to deal with new and emerging threats.
Finally, two further technical studies have been awarded to Hensoldt and to KNDS Germany, calling for work in a field adjustment system. This is required to compensate for the effects of barrel bend, a phenomenon that is caused by changes in temperature and which can affect the accuracy of the main gun. In the Leopard 2, a manual system is used for field adjustment, which is the responsibility of the gunner. The BAAINBw wants a new system to be fully automated so that regular manual adjustment is no longer necessary.
The interim main battle tank, if development continues, will provide the German Armed Forces with a tank that will serve at least until the introduction of an all-new fighting vehicle, being developed under the MGCS project.
The report from hartpunkt, which cites unnamed defense insiders, suggests that the interim Leopard 3 (provided it receives this designation) will be “adapted to the current threat level in terms of performance and will have additional capabilities compared to the Leopard 2A8.” The latter is currently the most advanced production version of the Leopard 2. The report adds that the interim tank should start to enter service in the 2030s — if the German government gives it the go-ahead. The tank should then serve for around 25 years.
A Leopard 2A8 tank. KNDS
At this stage, the final specifications of the Leopard 3 are still to be determined, and they will likely be refined after these three technical studies are completed. The German Armed Forces procurement office expects this work to be finished by the end of 2026.
It’s unclear where the new technical studies will leave the Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 version of the Leopard 2, which was rolled out by Franco-German defense conglomerate KNDS last summer, as you can read about here.
This new version of the Leopard 2 features a completely uncrewed turret that can be armed with an even larger 140mm main gun. The tank also features a built-in anti-tank guided missile launcher and a remote weapon station armed with a 30mm cannon optimized for engaging drones, a threat that has now fully emerged thanks to the war in Ukraine.
The Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0. The pop-up missile launcher is visible on top of the turret. KNDS
KNDS wants to offer the Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 for sale but also expects it to be a key stepping stone to the next-generation MGCS.
Last year, KNDS announced it would establish a new joint company with Germany’s Rheinmetall and Thales in France specifically to work on MGCS.
As for Rheinmetall, this company also unveiled its own next-generation tank, the KF51 Panther, back in 2022. The KF51 also has a 130mm main gun — as specified for the new interim tank — in a more traditional crewed turret. That turret also features a built-in launcher for missiles or drones and the option to install a remote weapon station on top. You can read more about the Panther’s design and capabilities here.
An artist’s concept of the KF51 Panther. Rheinmetall
It had previously seemed likely that the Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 would find itself in direct competition with the KF51 and, while that may be the case for sales outside Germany, the latest technical studies suggest that the BAAINBw is eyeing a different solution. While this will be broadly based on the Leopard 2, it will be a more ambitious project than the Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0, which does not — as far as is known — include a new powerplant.
Regardless, it’s notable that Germany is once again very active in tank development, something that reflects wider trends.
After years during which many tank operators either reduced their fleets or removed them altogether, armored warfare is now experiencing something of a renaissance, spurred, in no small part, by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
While France and Germany remain committed to the MGCS, the German Armed Forces clearly see a requirement for a main battle tank that can be introduced to service before this next-generation fighting vehicle becomes available. In the meantime, these German studies for an interim main battle tank — whatever it might be called — look like they could also provide a pointer to what the future MGCS tank could look like.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
