DSEI 2025: Leopard 1 offered extra kick with new power pack
The new FFG-developed power pack for the Leopard 1 Main Battle Tank (MBT) and variants ready for installation. A Leopard 1 with this new power pack ran for the first time late in July 2025. (Photo: FFG)
The new power pack from Germany’s Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) is about 300kg lighter than the original system, consists of a more modern eight-cylinder diesel developing up to 1,080hp. It is being shown for the first time at DSEI.
The German company FFG, teamed with Rolls-Royce Power Systems and ZF, has completed the first example of a new power pack for installation in the Leopard 1 MBT and many of its specialised versions.
The specialised versions include the FFG developed Wisent 1 Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV)/Armoured Engineer Vehicle (AEV), the Leopard 1-based ARV, AEV and armoured vehicle launched bridges, and Gepard twin 35mm air defence system which are still deployed by many countries.
All of these have a power pack designed more than 65 years ago consisting of a MTU MB 838 Ca M-500 10-cylinder diesel developing 830hp at 2,200rpm coupled to a ZF 4 HP 250 automatic transmission with four forward and two reverse gears and a cooling system.
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The MTU MB 838 (now Rolls Royce Power Systems) diesel engine is obsolete and no longer supported while some elements of the ZF transmission are no longer available.
The new power pack, which is some 300kg lighter than the original unit, consists of the more recent MTU 8V199TE23 eight-cylinder diesel developing up to 1,080hp coupled to a modified ZF HP250 automatic transmission and a new FFG developed two cycle cooling system.
As the new power pack uses off-the-shelf solutions, development has been rapid and the initial workshop design concept was completed early in 2024 and this was rapidly followed by engine development and transmission modification.
The new power pack was assembled and integrated into the Leopard 1 chassis before being run for the first time in July 2015. Following DSEI 2025, verification trials will be carried out prior to final design review to take into account any problems encountered during the trials.
This engine is available in both V6 and V8 configurations with applications of the latter including the Boxer 8×8 multi-role armoured vehicle, Polish Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), Austrian Spanish Cooperative Development (ASCOD) family of vehicles and Eitan 8×8 IFV.
Michael Lausen, responsible division manager at FFG, said: “By integrating this new power pack, we are laying the foundations for continuing to use reliable and combat proven Leopard 1 cost-effectively and economically for decades to come.”
According to FFG, this new power pack improves the performance of the platform including improved power-to-weight ratio, less fuel consumption, longer service life and is a direct replacement using plug and play for the original power pack.
Following the development and production of the Wisent 1, FFG developed the Wisent 2 based on a Leopard 2 chassis and this is available as an ARV, AEV, mine breacher (as ARV and AEV) and a AVLB (based on AEV), and these have been built for a number of export customers.
A key feature is that the AEV version can be converted to the ARV configuration in less than five hours.
Shephard's DSEI 2025 coverage is sponsored by:
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