Hybrids on display: New Panther turret on old Leopard tank stuns MSPO

Numerous examples of military equipment are on display at the ongoing MSPO 2024 trade fair, with a notable highlight being the hybrid of old and new technologies. This is exemplified by the KF-51 Panther tank turret mounted on the chassis of a Leopard 2A4 tank from the 1980s. We present the pros and cons of this solution.

Modernizing older tanks by installing a new turret is not a new concept; similar instances have occurred before. For example, the Turkish M60 and Leopard 1 tank have been equipped with new turrets.

This time, the KF-51 Panther tank turret is mounted on the old Leopard 2A4 chassis. As a representative from Rheinmetall noted during our conversation, this is just a demonstrator. Although the company also offers hull armor, it was not presented at the fair.

This is significant because the hull is from the 1980s, and its construction does not protect modern anti-tank weapons. It is also worth noting that with the installation of the KF-51 turret, the secondary ammunition store was removed from the hull, and all the ammunition (20 rounds) is now in an isolated automatic loader. This is an improvement over the armored compartment of the Leopard 2 tanks, which held only 15 rounds.

The turret allows for the use of a standard 120mm gun or the new 130mm gun. Additionally, as our interlocutor noted, the tank will have a reinforced roof with extra layers of composite armor, to which Igelpanzerung mats can be added.

The vehicle is also equipped with a small reconnaissance (or attack) drone, significantly increasing the crew's situational awareness over longer distances. At close range, the 360-degree camera system for all crew members ensures unprecedented visibility of the immediate surroundings. Pairing tanks with drones is not a new idea; it has been popularized by Ukrainians conducting drone-corrected armored charges on detected Russian positions.

The presented tank weighs approximately 60 tons, but it does not have full armor. Therefore, the final weight of the Panther and Leopard 2 hybrid, especially after adding hull armor, could be significantly higher and even exceed 66 tons. It is an intriguing option but seems less impressive than the Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 version.