Belgian army withdraws Leopard 1 MBTs
The Belgian military’s land component conducted a final live fire exercise with the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) Leopard 1 MBT on 10 September, it has emerged.
One of the last NATO members to operate the 43t Leopard 1, Belgium purchased 334 Leopard 1A1s in the late 1960s, 132 of which were upgraded to 1A5 (BE) standards in the mid-1990s by installing a new fire control system and thermal sight.
Being surplus to requirements after the Cold War, most of the Leopard 1s that were not upgraded were sold to Brazil. While the Belgian military officially still has an inventory of
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Land Warfare
-
![How to breach a minefield: from traditional systems to modern techniques in action]()
How to breach a minefield: from traditional systems to modern techniques in action
The news from Ukraine has again shown that antitank minefields and other obstacles on the battlefield, such as deep trenches, can play a key role in both offensive and defensive operations. Given this, there will always be a need to clear them, both during and after a conflict.
-
![British Army's open plan draws diverse offerings for Land Rover replacement]()
British Army's open plan draws diverse offerings for Land Rover replacement
The UK Ministry of Defence has avoided being prescriptive in its search to replace the British Army’s Land Rover, meaning vehicle types being offered range from Land Rover Defender Wolf II and Humvee to the hybrid series Fering Pioneer. What does this mean for the procurement process?
-
![DVD 2026: British Army’s Ajax back in the hands of users as part of a gradual return]()
DVD 2026: British Army’s Ajax back in the hands of users as part of a gradual return
The introduction of Ajax vehicles into British Army service was stopped after operator health issues were reported during an exercise, but manufacturer General Dynamics Land Systems UK believes work over the past 10 months has dealt with the problems.
