Rheinmetall to upgrade Polish Leopard 2 tanks
Rheinmetall has been awarded a contract by Poland to upgrade its 128 Leopard 2 main battle tanks (MBTs), it announced on 22 February. The order is worth about $244 million.
As part of the modernisation, 128 Leopard 2 A4 MBTs will be upgraded to the Leopard 2 PL standard. Serving as a strategic partner, Rheinmetall will work in cooperation with Poland-based Bumar-Łabędy and Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa and supply key capabilities, including electronics and weapon technology.
The contract will also see the transfer of technology and knowledge to Polish industry. Poland is now the third Leopard MBT user nation after Canada and Indonesia to select Rheinmetall as technology partner for a modernisation programme.
The Leopard 2A4 is the MBT for several NATO countries. It has an L44 120-mm smooth bore gun; a C6 7.62mm coaxial, medium machine gun; and 76mm multi-barrel grenade dischargers (16 tubes). The tank is 9.67m long, 3.70m wide and 2.90m high. It has an on-road range of 340km and off-road range of 220km. it is powered by an F-54 Diesel DF-2 engine, which has a capacity of 1,160 litres.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![Drone wars: countries are looking for answers but do companies have the solutions?]()
Drone wars: countries are looking for answers but do companies have the solutions?
Manufacturers are speeding up their counter-drone development efforts as countries increasingly focus on procurements to provide battlefield and national protection.
-
![Fourth company looks to Texelis Celeris chassis to develop a new 4x4 vehicle]()
Fourth company looks to Texelis Celeris chassis to develop a new 4x4 vehicle
Finnish company SCATA will use the Texelis Celeris chassis for a new vehicle similar to the Serval 4x4 which Texelis is building with KNDS France for the French Army.
-
![Sweden seeks US HIMARS missile system to expand long-range strike capability]()
Sweden seeks US HIMARS missile system to expand long-range strike capability
The proposed $920 million deal would provide Sweden with a step up from its existing tube artillery and align the country with other northern European nations that have selected the HIMARS platform.
-
![Thales Storm 2 counter-drone system being evaluated by potential customers]()
Thales Storm 2 counter-drone system being evaluated by potential customers
The attack drone threat from first-person view uncrewed aerial systems has been highlighted by recent conflicts and Thales has adapted its Storm 2 counter-improvised explosive device jammer to provide protection.
