Main Battle Tank - Leopard 2A6
Description
The Leopard 2 is a German main battle tank built by the German company Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann, developed in the early 1970s and first entering service in 1979, replacing the earlier Leopard 1 as the foremost MBT in the Bundeswehr. Its different versions have served in the armed forces of Germany and ten other European countries.
L2A6 is the designation given to upgraded vehicles of the first batch of Leopard 2s (L2A1), brought up to the standard of the second and third batches. This modernisation gradually replaced in the first batch the original PZB 200 sights with thermal sights for the EMES 15 as they became available. Furthermore the upgrade included the fitting of filler openings and caps to the forward hull fuel tanks to allow separate refuelling, as well as the addition of a deflector plate for the periscope and a large coverplate to protect the existing NBC protection system. Finally, the tank was given new five metre towing cables with a different position. The programme began in 1984 and ended in 1987; the third, fourth and fifth batches were during this period produced with the same features. The modernised first batch can be recognised by the circular plate covering the hole where the cross-wind sensor for the fire-control system was removed.
BF2 Information
The L2A6 features in only two of the three Euroforce maps. Those being Taraba Quarry and Great Wall, arguably the least popular of the 3 maps. Great Wall features the Leopard in jungle camo as in the picture above whereas Taraba features all the Euroforce vehicles (including the LAV25) in a unique brown camoflague, not seen anywhere else in the game.
Weaponry
Driver
Primary Gun: 120mm Rheinmetall L55 smoothbore gun
Secondary Gun: 7.62mm MG3 Machinegun
Evasive action: Smoke
Gunner
Primary gun: .50 caliber Browning M2 Heavy Barrel machine gun
Evasive action: Duck in Tank
Links
Vehicle Information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_A6_EX#Leopard_2A6
Vehicle Picture: http://www.fprado.com/
Vehicle BF2 Screencaps: http://www.ea.com/official/battlefield/battlefield2/us/editorial.jsp?src=vehicles