Leopard 2 PSO Main Battle Tank Germany Army

Germany’s Krauss-Maffei Wegmann unveiled the company-funded prototype of its Leopard 2A6 tank optimised for operations in an urban environment at Eurosatory 2006 under the designation Leopard 2 Peace Support Operations (PSO). Advanced passive armour side skirts have been mounted along the sides of the hull along with the addition of armour to the sides and roof of the tank’s turret. To minimise the exposure of the crew the machine gun on the commander’s cupola has been replaced by a remote controlled weapon station behind the loader’s hatch. This can be armed with a 7.62-mm or 12.7-mm machine gun or a 40-mm automatic grenade launcher.

The tank’s optics are better protected against damage from falling debris and thrown stones. A hydraulically operated dozer blade, operated by the driver, is fitted to the front of the hull enabling the tank to clear barricades and rubble. KMW has developed a mine protection kit for German and Swedish Leopard 2s deployed on international operations and this can be fitted to the PSO variant for additional protection.

Several countries are developing multipurpose 120-mm tank rounds better suited for the contemporary operational environment. The French Army has placed an initial order for 1000 rounds of the new Nexter High Explosive-Tracer.