The revamped Leopard 1: An old tank gets a new lease on life with a Cockerill 3105 Turret

The Leopard 1, despite decades of upgrades, has fallen short in meeting the demands of the modern battlefield. But now, the Belgium-based company John Cockerill Defence is proposing a fresh upgrade that could redefine the old war machine's capabilities. So, what's changed?

The reimagined Leopard 1 was initially unveiled at the Eurosatory 2022 trade show. However, according to the Defence 360 website, the official presentation of the revamped equipment is slated for December at the French military base Camp de Suippes.

Originally built in the 60s, the Leopard 1 is considered long outdated, having very weak armor and barely satisfactory firepower.

Despite these shortcomings, the Leopard 1 continues to serve in the armies of Greece, Turkey, and Brazil out of necessity. Recently, it's also been deployed in large numbers by the Ukrainian armed forces which, so far, has received over 100 units with more presumably on the way.

John Cockerill Defence took it upon themselves to modernize the Leopard 1A5 to meet contemporary demands, achieving this by mounting a brand-new turret on the old hull. Although the tank's hull armor protection remains weak, both its firepower and crew's situational awareness have been significantly improved by this change.

The key to these enhancements is the Cockerill 3105 turret. Its installation on the hull required a new support ring and armored superstructure. While the caliber of the main weapon remained at 105 mm, the aged L7 A3 gun got replaced with a new, higher-quality Cockerill HP. This weapon upgrade came along with an automated loader storing 12-16 rounds, which allowed the turret to become unmanned.

This change led to the shifting of the entire crew into the tank's hull. Although the armor protection remains weak there too, the chances of crew survival have increased as they're positioned closer to the ground. Improved situational awareness has been reported due to the modern sensors relative to the older version of the Leopard 1.

Despite the technical intrigue that the upgrade presents, Defence 24 has questioned its feasibility given the gradual phasing out of Leopard 1s. The situation is further complicated by the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has depleted the market of spare parts for older tanks, making their operation unfeasible for prior users.

Under these circumstances, Ukraine could be the only potentially interested party as these upgrades would significantly increase the combat value of their Leopard 1s. But considering the costs, alongside a long list of pressing needs, it seems doubtful that Ukraine will place orders for these upgrades.