DTN News: KMW's Leopard 1A5 Main Battle Tank Delivery Of First Of Brazilian Army

DTN News: KMW's Leopard 1A5 Main Battle Tank Delivery Of First Of Brazilian Army *By 2012, a total of 220 systems held by the Federal Armed Forces will be delivered to Brazil *KMW is repaired and the vehicles in Germany takes over the on-site service *Source: DTN News / Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) (NSI News Source Info) KASSEL, Germany - November 4, 2009: Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), on Wednesday, 28 October 2009, the first of 220 Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks of the type at the site of Kassel, Germany handed over to the Brazilian army. The tanks come from portfolio holdings of the Federal Armed Forces since the beginning of this year and will be repaired by KMW set modernized. The delivery of all systems is planned by 2012. The Leopard 1 was first produced in 1963 by Krauss-Maffei for the German Ministry of Defence and more than 6,000 vehicles have been exported to Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and Australia. Brazil has agreed to the purchase of battle tanks under a government business with the Federal Republic of Germany. The Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (Koblenz) has asked again KMW late December 2008 as a general inter alia, the maintenance, construction status and the development and adaptation of specific Mustereinrüstung Brazilian subsystems. In addition, the package looks at the South American customers include training devices, simulators, Drivers Instruction Vehicle and technical assistance on the spot. The Leopard 1 was introduced in 1965 in the Bundeswehr. In 2003, the last battle tanks of this type in Germany has been decommissioned. The system is accordingly at liberty in its class even today as a technology leader. There have been several upgrades of and including the service of the armed forces of Belgium, Chile, Greece, Italy and Turkey.

DTN News: Finland To Upgrade Leopard Tanks, XA-180 AFVs

DTN News: Finland To Upgrade Leopard Tanks, XA-180 AFVs

*Sources: DTN News / European Defence Agency; issued June 30, 2009

(NSI News Source Info) HELSINKI, Finland - July 3, 2009: The Finnish Defence Forces Materiel Command HQ has issued the following contract opportunities notices:

-- LEOPARD 2A4 -SYSTEM MID LIFE UPGRADE:

Army Command has established a Program for Upgrading Finnish Leopard 2 A4 Main Battle Tanks and sent an order to Army Materiel Command to establish a project to execute the acquisition.

In order to be able to fulfil the order, Army Materiel Command Headquarters has decided to issue an RFI to gather more information.

The Finnish Army bought 124 2A4s from surplus German stocks. 20 have been converted into bridge-laying and combat engineering tanks. 12 tanks have been disassembled for use as spares and one tank burned and was a total loss, leaving 91 operational tanks.

This information will be used as basis for the project. Leopard 2 AX –project acquires a Mid Life Upgrade (MLU) for Finnish Leopard 2 A4 main battle tanks (MBT’s). The MLU shall ensure the usability and performance of the fleet as defined in the Clause 3 at least to the 2030s.

--XA-180 AND XA-185 -SYSTEMS MID LIFE UPGRADE:

Army Command has established a Program for Upgrading the ‘XA-180’ and ‘XA-185’ wheeled vehicles and sent an order to Army Materiel Command to establish a project to execute the acquisition.

In order to be able to fulfil the order, Army Materiel Command Headquarters has decided to issue an RFI to gather more information. This information will be used as basis for the project. The XA-180 and XA-185 wheeled vehicles project acquires a Mid Life Upgrade (MLU) for the XA-180 and XA-185 wheeled vehicles.

Finland ~ Finnish Army, Finnish Navy, Finnish Police. 425 XA-180s and 185s, 148 XA-200s XA-180, most upgraded to 185 specs, and configured with special communications equipment XA-185, the most common version, some equipped with TOW turret, most of the Finnish vehicles are armed with a 12.7 mm NSV machine gun.

The MLU shall ensure the usability and performance of the fleet as defined in the Clause 3 at least to the 2030s.

The Market for Main Battle Tanks: China Leads With Type 98, For State-Of-The-Art Grade One German Leads With Leopard 2 - Annual Analysis By Forecast

The Market for Main Battle Tanks: China Leads With Type 98, For State-Of-The-Art Grade One German Leads With Leopard 2 - Annual Analysis By Forecast International

(NSI News Source Info) March 7, 2009: In its annual analysis "The Market for Tanks," the Forecast International Weapons Group projects that the international market will produce over 6,500 main battle tanks, worth in excess of $26.76 billion, through 2018. However, while increased modernization and retrofit remains transparent to FI's analysis of new-production tanks, this factor remains a significant component of the international market. The Leopard 2 is a German main battle tank developed by Krauss-Maffei in the early 1970s and first entering service in 1979. The Leopard 2 replaced the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the German Army. Various versions have served in the armed forces of Germany and twelve other European countries, as well as several non-European nations. More than 3,480 Leopard 2s have been manufactured. The Leopard 2 first saw combat in Afghanistan with the Danish and Canadian ISAF forces.

The first export customer were The Netherlands which received 445 vehicles between July 1981 and July 1986. The Netherlands later resold 114 of these (and one turret) to Austria, 80 to Canada in 2007, another 52 tanks to Norway and finally 37 to Portugal. Sweden also acquired 280 Leopards, 160 2A4s from German stocks, designated Stridsvagn 121, and the rest Leopard 2(S) models (designated Stridsvagn 122) similar in configuration to the Leopard 2A5 variant. Spain first leased and later bought 108 2A4 models in the interim period before 219 license-built Leopard 2A6 models (Leopardo 2E) were ready to replace them. Switzerland bought 380 between 1987 and 1993. A number of countries also use versions of the tank, including Poland, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Turkey and Chile. Germany has fielded about 2125 Leopard 2s in various versions. The design was also tested by Britain in the 1980s, which ultimately decided on the Challenger 2. The Australian Army evaluated ex-German Leopard 2s as a replacement for its Leopard 1 tanks in 2003 but instead selected the M1A1 Abrams. Dean Lockwood, weapons systems analyst at Forecast International, notes that "in 2008, U.S. Department of Defense contract awards for the maintenance, RESET, and upgrade of the existing M1 Abrams inventories carried a total value in excess of $1.46 billion. That was equivalent to more than 46 percent of the total value of all new-production main battle tanks entering the international market in 2008 (nearly $3.17 billion). Last year, the Chinese Type 98 program maintained its position as the single largest new-production program. Yet, with a total value of $395.79 million (for 116 new-production tanks), the Type 98 program was worth only about 27.11 percent what the U.S. DoD spent on the M1 Abrams in 2008." The expense associated with the modernization and retrofit of high-end main battle tanks pales in comparison with the prospect of new tank procurement. Thus, FI expects new production of high-end tanks to remain relatively low, accounting for 14.9 percent of all production and 24.22 percent of the value of the market during the forecast period. In terms of sheer numbers, Forecast International expects Pakistan's Al Khalid, the Type 98 of the People's Republic of China, and the Russian Federation's T-90 (including India's licensed T-90S production program) to continue to dominate the market, representing 60.57 percent of all new tanks rolling out worldwide, and accounting for 52.28 percent of the value of the market, through 2018. In the international market for main battle tanks, the days of U.S. and European domination over new production are long gone. Nevertheless, the established U.S. and European players continue to make their presence felt. The 120mm Rh 120 smoothbore ordnance, the state-of-the-art Leopard 2, and the combat-proven M1 Abrams continue to set the standard for main battle tank design worldwide. Second only to the infantryman in terms of combat effectiveness, the "mailed fist" of heavy armor remains the arm of decision on the modern battlefield. Further, as Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-present) evolved from a war of movement into a security operation, the main battle tank has proven surprisingly adaptable. According to Lockwood, "In the congested streets of Iraqi cities, the Abrams serves as a significant force multiplier, fully up to meeting the challenges of an asymmetric warfare environment."

Ex-German Leopard Tanks Have Military Buyers / German Main Battle Tank Technology Compatible To Best In The World - Analyze

Ex-German Leopard Tanks Have Military Buyers / German Main Battle Tank Technology Compatible To Best In The World - Analyze

(NSI News Source Info) January 17, 2009: Last year Chile received 136 second hand Leopard II tanks from Germany. Most (93) of them were used to form three tank battalions. Chile already has six battalions of older Leopard I tanks, and one battalion (30) of these are being sold to Ecuador. Price was not disclosed, but is believed to be about half a million dollars per tank. The Leopard (or Leopard 1) is a tank designed and produced in Germany, that first entered service in 1965. It was used as the main battle tank by over a dozen countries worldwide. It is a fairly conventional tank, armed with a German-built version of the British L7 105-mm gun. The Leopard is known for its good cross-country speed. The design started as a collaborative project between Germany and France in the 1950s, but the partnership ended and the final design was ordered by the Bundeswehr, production starting in 1965. In total 6,485 Leopard tanks have been built, of which 4,744 were battle tanks and 1741 were utility and anti-aircraft variants, not including eighty prototypes and pre-series vehicles. Since 1990, the Leopard 1 has gradually been relegated to secondary roles in most armies. In the German Army, the Leopard 1 MBTs have been phased out in 2003 while Leopard 1 derived vehicles are still widely used. The Leopard 2 MBTs have taken over the MBT role. Until the 1980s, the Leopard I was considered one of the best tanks available. First built in the late 1960s, it was the first post-World War II German tank design. Although a contemporary of the American M-60A3, the German tank was considered superior. For this reason, Germany was able to export Leopards to many nations, including Australia. Most of the 4,744 produced (plus 1,741 Leopard chassis adapted to other uses, like recovery and anti-aircraft) have been retired (in storage) or scrapped. Many owners of may have to melt it's Leopard Is down, for there's not much of a market left for 44 ton tanks, even those equipped with a lot of nifty upgrades. The original buyers of Leopard I have already flooded the market. The export market is further clouded by legal restrictions, as Germany still retains the right to reject any buyer for the tanks. Thus prospective buyers must pass muster with German public opinion. No nations suffering from bad PR need apply. The second hand Leopard I market is made worse by the availability of the Leopard II. This is basically a contemporary of the U.S. M-1, and often considered superior to the M-1. But the M-1 has an impressive combat record, and no Leopard II has ever seen action. Still, on paper, and in training exercises, the Leopard II has been impressive. Some 3,000 Leopard IIs are out there, and Germany is still marketing them. Many surplus M-1s are available, and a few Leopard IIs. Add to this the thousands of late model Russian tanks available, and it's no wonder why second hand tanks like the Leopard I go for such low prices.