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Background
— Canadian Tanks to Kandahar — the Leopard C2 |
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Throughout August 2006, while fighting in Panjwaii raged, DND strenuously denied reports that
Leopard tanks were being considered for use in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, some of the CF's
28-year old tanks were being reconditioned and B Sqn of Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal
Canadians) trained for their deployment to Afghanistan at CFB Wainwright. On 29 Sept. 2006, the first Leopard
C2 started its long trip to Kandahar.
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The Leopard and a Taurus ARV (left) were loaded
onto a leased Antonov for the 10,000km flight
to Central Asia. In Kyrgyztan, the CF vehicles transferred to two USAF C-17s for delivery to
Kandahar. The Taurus was publicly revealed first at KAF.
When the Leo was shown, it was clad in the heavy armour.
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When first reporting on the delivery of the Leos to Kandahar, we assumed that the CF had
wisely chosen to send its half dozen or so heaviest armoured tanks first. Not so. In later images of the Afghan
Leopards, it was apparent that all the tanks sent have been up-armoured with heavy
MEXAS kits (thick composite plates that fill in above the road- wheels while extending the turret sides, hull
and glacis plate. The thick MEXAS panels add weight but will provide superior protection from the main anti-tank
threats – large IEDs.
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But, the point of deploying the Leopard has as much to do with its gun as protection. The
L7A3 gun fires the full range of NATO 105mm tank ammunition.[2] A load of ammunition would normally consist of
a large proportion of armour-piercing rounds. With no threat from armour in Afghanistan, the Leos will
likely carry more squash-head and high explosive rounds. While escort duties have been discussed, the
Leopards will probably form part of a new CF direct fire squadron.
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Kraus Maffei Leopard
C2 Main Battle Tank – Specifications
| Crew: |
driver, gunner, loader / radio op, commander |
| Armament: |
105mm L7A3 (52 rds), coax/flex [3] 7.62mm C6 |
Size:
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L x 9.54m (gun fwd., 8.17m gun aft, 7.72m hull )
W x 3.37m, H x 2.62m (overall, turret top 2.48m) |
| Weight: |
Combat weight: 42.4 t + (standard Leo C2)
[4] |
| Powerplant: |
620kW multi-fuel MB838 and ZF trans (4+2) |
| Speed/Range: |
Max: 65km/h / Operating Range: 650km (road) |
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[1] Official reports said that 15 "tanks" would be deployed to Kandahar but not say whether this
includes Taurus ARV and Badger AEV.
[2] Leopard C2 ammunition types are: APFSDS (Armour-Piercing, Fin-Stabilized, Discarding Sabot) APDS
(AP Discarding Sabot), HESH (High Explosive Squash Head) / HEP (HE Plastic), HEAT (HE Anti-Tank), HEAT-MPT (HE
Anti-Tank, Multi-Purpose, Tracer), and smoke.
[3] Leopard C2 specifications normally list one each coaxial and flexible C6 GPMG. Photos of B Sqn LdSH
(RC) training for the Kandahar deployment at CFB Wainright show Leopards with flexible C6 machinegun mounts
close by both the commander's and loader's hatches.
[4] Leopard C2 weight is usually given as 42.5t, the base Leopard 1A5 as 42.4t. A weight for the
non-standard Leopard C2 fitted with the IBD Deisenroth Engineering 'medium' MEXAS panels has never
been officially released but it is rumoured to be in the range of 44 tonnes.
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