Leopard 2A6 / 2A4
Type: Main Battle Tank
Domain: land
Country of Origin: Finland
Manufacturer: Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KNDS) / Rheinmetall
Overview
Finland operates 200+ Leopard 2 main battle tanks forming the backbone of Finnish armoured forces — one of the largest Leopard fleets in Europe relative to population. The fleet consists of 139 Leopard 2A6 (the most advanced variant with longer L/55 120mm gun providing increased penetration and range) and 100 older Leopard 2A4 tanks. The 2A6 features the Rheinmetall 120mm L/55 smoothbore gun providing 20% increased muzzle velocity over the L/44, improved armor packages, upgraded fire control system with improved thermal sights and ballistic computer, and commander's independent thermal viewer. Finnish Leopard 2A6s are modified for Arctic operations with improved cold-weather starting systems, track modifications for snow and ice, and camouflage schemes for forested terrain. Finland purchased Leopards from Netherlands (2003) and Germany (2014-2015) at favorable prices, dramatically upgrading from obsolete Soviet-era T-72 tanks. The Leopard 2 provides Finland with world-class armored capability to defend against potential Russian armored incursions. Finnish tank crews train extensively in combined-arms operations integrating tanks with infantry, artillery, engineers, and air defense in forested and urban terrain. Some 2A4 tanks donated to Ukraine in 2023.
Technical Specifications
| Crew | 4 |
|---|---|
| Armor | Composite + add-on armor package |
| Range | 550 km |
| Width | 3.76 m |
| Engine | MTU MB 873 Ka-501 diesel, 1,500 hp |
| Height | 3.0 m |
| Weight | 62.5 tonnes (2A6) |
| Main gun | 120 mm Rheinmetall L55 (2A6) / L44 (2A4) |
| Max speed | 68 km/h |
| Length (gun forward) | 10.97 m |
Operators
- Finland
- Portugal
- Ukraine
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