Turkish Leopards get homemade armour upgrade
Turkish industry is producing an armour upgrade kit for Leopard 2A4s. (Photo: SSB)
A new armour package for Leopard 2A4 turret and hull is in production in Turkey.
Aselsan has begun ‘mass production’ of an armour upgrade kit for Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks in service with the Turkish Land Forces, according to Ismail Demir, head of the Turkish Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).
The armour package was designed at the Roketsan Ballistic Protection Center, Demir added in a 6 June statement on social media.
He declared: ‘Developed in different configurations for turret and hull compartments according to threat analysis, the armour package still has the most effective ballistic protection used in Leopard 2A4 tanks in the world’s armies.’
Demir did not disclose the timeframe for rolling out the armour upgrade.
There are 344 Leopard 2A4s in the Turkish Land Forces inventory, according to Shephard Defence Insight. The tank features flat titanium-tungsten armour as standard.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![Eurosatory 2026: IDV expands with new Viking and CL2X UGV]()
Eurosatory 2026: IDV expands with new Viking and CL2X UGV
At Eurosatory 2026, uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) are front and centre of IDV’s display, with a new variant of the Viking and the new CL2X on show.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Ukraine drives European artillery renaissance]()
Eurosatory 2026: Ukraine drives European artillery renaissance
European governments have ordered nearly 1,400 self-propelled howitzers and more than 400 multiple-launch rocket systems since 2022 as lessons from Ukraine reshape long-range fires requirements across the continent.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Nordic CV90 contract to be signed this year as best offer submitted]()
Eurosatory 2026: Nordic CV90 contract to be signed this year as best offer submitted
The four-nation Nordic Programme to buy BAE Systems Hägglunds CV90 MkIV tracked vehicles is an ambitious effort for the partner countries to buy almost identical vehicles and is worth billions of dollars.
