Editing Leopard 2 (section)

{{Short description|German main battle tank}}
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{{very long|words=16,000|date=December 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox weapon
| name               = Leopard 2
| image              = Leopard 2 A7V 313 Bad Frankenhausen 2024.JPG
| image_size         = 300
| alt                = 
| caption            = A German Leopard 2A7V
| type               = [[Main battle tank]]
| origin             = West Germany
<!-- Type selection -->| is_ranged          = 
| is_artillery       = 
| is_vehicle         = yes
<!-- Service history -->| service            = 1979–present<ref name=TGelbart />
| used_by            = See ''[[#Operators|Operators]]''
| wars               = {{Tree list}}
* [[Kosovo War]]
**[[Prizren incident (1999)|Prizren incident]]
*[[War in Afghanistan (2001–14)|War in Afghanistan]]
*[[Operation Euphrates Shield|Syrian Civil War]] 
*[[Russo-Ukrainian War]]
**[[Russian invasion of Ukraine]]
{{Tree list/end}}
| designer           = [[KraussMaffei]]
| design_date        = 1970s
| manufacturer       = {{Plain list|
* [[Krauss-Maffei Wegmann|KraussMaffei]]
* [[Maschinenbau Kiel]]
* [[Rheinmetall]]<ref name="dmni">{{cite news|last1=Majumdar|first1=Dave|title=Get Ready, Russia: This European Power Has Plans For a Lethal New Tank|url=https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/get-ready-russia-european-power-has-plans-lethal-new-tank-15251|publisher=The National Interest|date=2016-02-18}}</ref>
* [[Santa Bárbara Sistemas]]
* [[BAE Systems AB|Hägglunds AB]]
* [[Rheinmetall Air Defence|Contraves]]
* [[Hellenic Vehicle Industry]]
}}
| unit_cost          = 2A6 (secondhand): {{EU€|5.74 million}} (FY 2007)<ref>{{cite web|work=Defense update|date=2007-04-16|url=http://defense-update.com/newscast/0407/news/160407_leo2.htm|title=Canada Acquires 120 Leopard 2 Tanks from German, Dutch Surplus|access-date=2010-10-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091231060606/http://defense-update.com/newscast/0407/news/160407_leo2.htm|archive-date=2009-12-31|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> <br />2A7+: €13–15 million (FY 2014)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://defence24.com/hungarian-leopard-mbts-unveiled-what-was-the-cost-analysis|title=Hungarian Leopard MBTS Unveiled. What was the cost? &#91;ANALYSIS&#93;|date=2020-07-07}}</ref> <br />2A8: €29 million (2023)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://defence-industry.eu/germany-to-order-18-leopard-2a8-main-battle-tanks/|title=Germany to order 18 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks|date=2023-05-24}}</ref>
| production_date    = 1979–present
| number             = 3,600<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wirtschaft/deutsche-panzer-fuer-katar/8371316.html|title=Deutsche Panzer für Katar|newspaper=Tagesspiegel Online|date=2013-06-19|access-date=2019-10-26|language=de}}</ref>
| variants           = See ''[[#Variants|Variants]]''
<!-- General specifications -->| spec_label         = 
| mass               = 2A4: {{convert|55.2|t|ST||abbr=off}} <br />2A5: {{convert|59.5|t|ST||abbr=off}} <br />2A6: {{convert|62.3|t|ST||abbr=off}} <br />2A7V: {{convert|66.5|t|ST||abbr=off}}
| length             = 2A4: {{convert|9.97|m|ft|abbr=off}} (gun forward) <br />2A6: {{convert|10.97|m|ft|abbr=off}}
| part_length        = 
| width              = 2A4: {{convert|3.7|m|ft|abbr=off}} <br />2A6: {{convert|3.75|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| height             = 2A4: {{convert|2.8|m|ft|abbr=off}} <br />2A6: {{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| diameter           = 
| crew               = 4
| passengers         = <!-- Ranged weapon specifications -->
| cartridge          = 
| cartridge_weight   = 
| caliber            = 
| barrels            = 
| action             = 
| rate               = 
| velocity           = 
| range              = 
| max_range          = 
| feed               = 
| sights             = <!-- Artillery specifications -->
| breech             = 
| recoil             = 
| carriage           = 
| elevation          = 
| traverse           = <!-- Vehicle/missile specifications -->
| armour             = 2A6: 3rd generation composite; including high-hardness steel, tungsten and plastic filler with ceramic component.
| primary_armament   = 1 × [[Rheinmetall Rh-120#Rh-120 L/44 120 mm|Rh-120 L/44]] 120 mm or [[Rheinmetall Rh-120#Rh-120 L/55 120mm|Rh-120 L/55]] 120 mm [[Rheinmetall Rh-120]]<ref name= TGelbart /> (42 rounds)
| secondary_armament = 2 × [[7.62×51mm NATO|7.62 mm]] [[MG 3 machine gun|MG3A1]]<ref name= TGelbart /> or 2 × [[7.62×51mm NATO|7.62 mm]] [[FN MAG]] (4,750 rounds)
| engine             = [[MTU Friedrichshafen|MTU]] MB 873 Ka-501 [[Radiator (engine cooling)|liquid-cooled]] [[V12 engine|V12]] [[twin-turbo]] [[diesel engine]]
| engine_power       = {{cvt|1100|kW}} at 2,600 rpm
| pw_ratio           = 2A6: {{convert|17.8|kW/t|abbr=on}} <br />2A7V: {{convert|16.6|kW/t|abbr=on}}
| payload_capacity   = 
| drive              = 
| transmission       = Renk HSWL 354
| suspension         = [[Torsion bar suspension]]
| clearance          = 
| fuel_capacity      = {{Convert|1200|l|abbr=off|0}}<ref>{{Citation|last=Foss|first=Christopher F.|year=2002|title=Jane's Tanks and Combat Vehicles Recognition Guide|publisher=HarperCollins|place=New York|page=32}}</ref>
| vehicle_range      = {{Plain list|
* Road: {{cvt|340|km}}
* Cross country: {{cvt|220|km}}
* Average: {{cvt|280|km}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bundeswehr.de/resource/blob/5031824/7b51f1e2b8e19099dacc615881c591a4/waffensysteme-und-grossgeraet-data.pdf|title=Weapon systems and heavy equipment in the Bundeswehr|access-date=2022-06-09}}</ref><!--<ref name=TGelbart /> -->
}}
| speed              = {{cvt|70|kph}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kmweg.com/systems-products/tracked-vehicles/main-battle-tank/leopard-2-a6/|title=Die Leistungsmerkmale des LEOPARD 2 A6M|access-date=2021-06-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=LEOPARD 2 A6 – KMW|url=https://www.kmweg.com/systems-products/tracked-vehicles/main-battle-tank/leopard-2-a6/|access-date=2021-07-01|publisher= kmweg.com}}</ref>
| guidance           = 
| steering           = <!-- For all -->
| ref                = 
}}

The '''Leopard 2''' is a [[List of main battle tanks by generation|third generation]] German [[main battle tank]] (MBT). Developed by [[Krauss-Maffei Wegmann|Krauss-Maffei]] in the 1970s, the tank entered service in 1979 and replaced the earlier [[Leopard 1]] as the main battle tank of the [[German Army|West German army]]. Various iterations of the Leopard 2 continue to be operated by the [[Bundeswehr|armed forces of Germany]], as well as 13 other European countries, and several non-European countries, including Canada, Chile, Indonesia, and Singapore. Some operating countries have licensed the Leopard 2 design for local production and domestic development.

There are two main development tranches of the Leopard 2. The first encompasses tanks produced up to the Leopard 2A4 standard and are characterised by their vertically faced [[Gun turret#Combat vehicles|turret]] armour. The second tranche, from Leopard 2A5 onwards, has an angled, arrow-shaped, turret [[Vehicle armour#Appliqué|appliqué armour]], together with other improvements. The main armament of all Leopard 2 tanks is a [[smoothbore]] [[Rheinmetall Rh-120|120&nbsp;mm cannon]] made by [[Rheinmetall]]. This is operated with a digital [[Fire-control system|fire control system]], [[laser rangefinder]], and advanced [[night vision]] and sighting equipment. The tank is powered by a [[V12 engine|V12]] [[twin-turbo]] diesel engine made by [[MTU Friedrichshafen]].

In the 1990s, the Leopard 2 was used by the German Army on [[Kosovo Force|peacekeeping operations in Kosovo]]. In the 2000s, [[Royal Netherlands Army|Dutch]], [[Royal Danish Army|Danish]] and [[Canadian Army|Canadian]] forces deployed their Leopard 2 tanks in the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–14)|War in Afghanistan]] as part of their contribution to the [[International Security Assistance Force]]. In the 2010s, [[Turkish Armed Forces|Turkish]] Leopard 2 tanks saw [[Turkish involvement in the Syrian civil war|action in Syria]]. Since 2023, [[Ukraine Armed Forces|Ukrainian]] Leopard 2 tanks are seeing action in the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Russians Just Destroyed Their First Ukrainian Leopard 2 Tank|date=2023-06-09|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2023/06/08/the-russians-just-destroyed-their-first-ukrainian-leopard-2-tank/?sh=6ec7def175c9|work=Forbes|access-date=2023-06-10}}</ref>