Tank brigades continued to dominate the army structure, although the 16 Tank Brigades represented a slight decrease from the previous 17. In the Army Structure 2000 adopted at the end of the Cold War, Tank brigades in the early 1990s were equipped with Leopard 2 main battle tanks, replacing remaining Leopard 1 and M-48 tanks. A total of 108 LEOPARD 2's were expected for 1988 and an equal number for 1989. The first tank of the 6th lot was to arrive in January 1988. By March 1987, a total of 1,800 had been delivered. The German Army had thus ordered a total of 2,050 LEOPARD 2 tanks at a cost of DM 10.79 billion. The lot represented the second 'installment' of an order placed in the summer of 1986 to procure 250 LEOPARD 2's for the 10th Panzer division stationed in Sigmaringen - a division still equipped with LEOPARD 1 A4 tanks however, financial constraints had reduced this order to 150 tanks (called the 6th lot). In 1988 a seventh lot of 100 LEOPARD 2's, priced at DM 561 million (of which DM75 million were peripheral expenses) was authorized. The supply was to begin with 20 vehicles in 1979, then 100 and 180 vehicles a year, and starting in 1982, it was to reach theannual delivery rate of 300 battle tanks.Įventually, over 2,000 Leopard 2 tanks were produced. In addition to these 1,470 Leopard 2 tanks, there were to be 140 tanks for the 14 tank training companies and 190 tanks for schools, test sites, troop training areas and for rotation reserve, all together a defense reserve of 330 battle tanks equal to 18 percent.

All tank brigades of the Army (with the exception of tank brigades 28 and 29 which were equipped with the Leopard 1 A4/6th lot) were to be equipped with it, each of the 3 tank battalions of a tank brigade was to receive 35 Leopard 2 battle tanks. The largest German tank procurement program, with scheduled expenditure of DM 6.5 billion for 1,800 Leopard 2 battle tanks, cleared all parliamentary hurdles in 1977.

No other western combat tank on the world market is used by so many armies – Scandinavia, the Alps, or Afghanistan, a KMW Leopard 2 is up to any deployment setting. A total of sixteen countries, mostly in Europe, have opted for this amazing combination of fire power, armour and mobility. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann’s Leopard 2 has set world standards in combat tanks. The successor to the Leopard 1, the Leopard 2, was first produced in 1979.

Battle tank Leopard 2 Kampfpanzer Leopard 2

Modern leopard 2 german tank commander