Improved upgrade of the Leopard 2 tank
Main battle tanks are the main ground assault vehicles used by many national armies, but in practice there is a limited number of all-new tanks purchased. Therefore, upgrading active vehicles or purchasing modern and improved tanks are the first choice in some countries. The Leopard 2 main battle tank with excellent technical and tactical performance is not only equipped with the German army, but also arouses great interest from many countries that cannot develop tanks, so it is purchased by many countries. In order to extend the service life of the series of tanks, as part of numerous projects, they are being improved and upgraded. For example, the Germans' plan to upgrade the Leopard 2 tank to 2A7V/2A7V+ was implemented by Klaus Muffy-Weigmann and Rheinmetall, while Poland chose Rheinmetall for upgrading its tanks.
In May 2017, Klaus Muffy-Weggmann was awarded a contract worth 760 million euros to upgrade 104 German-equipped Leopard 2 tanks, and in September signed a contract with Rheinmetall to assist in the upgrade. The contract stipulates that a total of 68 "Leopard" 2A4, 16 "Leopard" 2A6 and 20 "Leopard" 2A7 will be upgraded to the "Leopard" 2A7V standard. Upgrades include the integration of a new fire control system computer and control panel, as well as the installation of a new laser rangefinder and thermal imaging camera. The Germans plan to receive the upgraded Leopard 2A7V by 2023.
Rheinmetall also signed a contract to supply the Leopard 2A4 tank gun with a new L55A1 tank gun, which will enable the Leopard 2 tank gun to fire armor-piercing shells at high initial velocities, as well as the launch of a new multifunctional programmable high-explosive dm11 developed by Rheinmetall. The first of these upgraded tanks will be delivered in 2020. Germany's Ministry of Defense announced that parliament has approved two defense budget proposals totaling $484 million (428 million euros). The proposal aims to enhance the combat effectiveness of the Wehrmacht, which is another funding for the upgrade of the Leopard 2 tank since 2017. In April 2019, Klaus Muffy-Weggmann was awarded a contract to upgrade 101 Leopard 2A6 tanks for Germany, worth around €300 million, scheduled for delivery in 2026. Under the terms of the agreement, the company will be responsible for the platform upgrade program, the sight system, the fire control system and the chassis.
The German Defense Ministry said that in the future, all active Leopard 2 tanks will be upgraded to the A7V standard (the "V" in the "Leopard" 2A7V means "modernization (Verbessert)"). By 2026, the Bundeswehr will have 329 main battle tanks, of which 205 are Leopard 2A7V, 104 are Leopard 2A6, and 20 are Leopard 2A4/A5 (only as coach cars). Thus the Germans would have 6 tank battalions (each equipped with 44 tanks), of which 4 battalions were equipped with leopard 2A7V and 2 battalions were equipped with leopard 2A6. In addition, 32 Leopard 2A4s are in stock.
The Leopard 2 tank equipped by the Norwegian army is at a crossroads, and it has been uncertain whether to purchase a new tank replacement or to find a temporary solution to the aging problem of active tanks. In December 2018, Norway released the Leopard 2 tank life extension plan to maintain the combat capability of its main battle tanks.
In addition, the next-generation tank scheme based on the German Leopard 2 tank hull and the French Leclerc turret was launched by the German Company Klaus Maffei-Weggmann and the French Company Ofix Systems in Paris in 2018 under the name of the European Main Battle Tank (EMBT), replacing the Leopard 2 and Leclerc main battle tanks currently in service between the two countries.
Small European countries are looking for new types of chariots
The dilemma of "new or modern upgrading" still plagues some countries in Eastern and Central Europe that use Soviet-era equipment. In general, many countries are procuring vehicles that meet NATO national standards. But even then there are many problems, including procurement schedules, as well as fairly expensive prices. While many countries are willing to purchase new vehicles, such as Latvia and Slovenia, which plan to purchase new vehicles, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Lithuania are following their own development paths within the framework of modern planning such as main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, 4×4 and 8×8 armored vehicles. In 2018, Latvia chose the Finnish Sisu Auto GTP 4×4 armored vehicle, which won the competition with AM General's Humvee armored vehicle, Otokar's Cobra armored vehicle and Paramount Group's Marauder armored vehicle, but protests from competitors led the Latvian government to suspend the plan.
The "West Su" GTP armored vehicle adopts modular design, the length of the car is 6 meters, the width of the vehicle is 2.5 meters, the height of the vehicle is 2.55 meters, the occupants are 2 people, the rear crew compartment can carry 8 people, the total weight of the vehicle is about 14 tons, the maximum payload is 4.5 tons, the maximum driving speed can reach 100 km / h, and the maximum travel is 700 km. The roof hatch can accommodate remote-controlled weapons stations equipped with 12.7 mm machine guns or integrated with other weapons. In terms of protection capabilities, the armored hull can reach the level of 1 ballistic protection under nato's standard agreement.
In February 2018, Slovenia procured 48 8×8 Boxer infantry fighting vehicles for the formation of 2 new mechanized infantry combat units, the first of which should be delivered by the end of 2020. However, the Slovenian government suspended the program in January 2019.
Lithuania has received orders for 2 of the 88 Boxer armored vehicles, which will eventually be delivered in four layout structures: squad cars, platoon cars, command cars and company cars. The Baltic states have also raised demands for the purchase of 200 light tactical armored vehicles from the U.S. company Oshkosh, which is expected to allocate 142 million euros in 2020.
The Czech Republic had demand for 210 new infantry fighting vehicles and 62 Titus (Tactical Infantry Transport and General System) 6×6 armored vehicles. Under a license agreement with The French company Nectar Systems, the local Eldis will supply the Titus platform. Several teams led by BAE Systems, General Dynamics European Ground Systems, Rheinmetall and PSM (a joint venture between Rheinmetall and Klaus Muffel-Weigmann) are bidding for a new infantry fighting vehicle to replace the Czech BVP-2 infantry fighting vehicle based on the Soviet BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle. The teams provided CV90, ASCOD, KF41 Lynx and Puma infantry fighting vehicles, respectively. The Czech Republic has concluded a series of agreements with these companies involving cooperation with Czech industry and the transfer of production sites to the Czech Republic.
The "Bobcat" infantry fighting vehicle launched by Raytheon in cooperation with The German Rheinmetall company will meet the requirements of the next generation of combat vehicles. It adopts the traditional layout, with the power bay in front, the battle module in the middle and the crew compartment in the rear. The upper and lower armor of the bow are large inclined planes with good bullet repellent appearance. The vehicle is 7.73 meters long, 3.6 meters wide and 3.3 meters high (to the top of the turret). The total combat weight is 44 tons, the engine power is 850 kW, the unit power is 19.3 kW / ton, matching the fully automatic transmission of Lenk, the maximum road speed is 70 km / h. The crew compartment can accommodate up to 8 heavily armed soldiers. Equipped with a Wotan 35 mm machine gun firing 35 × 228 mm ammunition. There are also weapon compartments on either side of the turret that can be opened, which can be equipped with various weapon systems. The overall invisible design is conducive to improving concealment.
In January 2019, Klaus Muffy-Weggmann announced a contract with Hungary for the supply of 44 new Leopard 2A7+ tanks to replace the Soviet-made T-72 tank and 24 PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers. As part of the contract, Hungary will also purchase 12 stock Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks from the company for training. According to the manufacturer, the Leopard 2A7+ tank provides comprehensive passive protection against threats such as directional explosions, mines and rocket-propelled grenades. It is also equipped with an improved optoelectronic device for long-distance observation during the day and night. The PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer system is equipped with a 155 mm/L52 gun with an ammunition base of 60 rounds and automatic shell loading, which improves the firing efficiency.
Future projections
Over the next 10 years, Western European countries intend to increase funding to upgrade their active armored vehicles to meet the equipment needs of potential adversaries in possible conflicts. According to relevant information, in the future, the investment of these countries in armored vehicles will increase from 5.2 billion US dollars in 2019 to 7.1 billion US dollars in 2029, making Europe the second largest market for armored vehicles in the world.
At the same time, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom spend 56% of the world's armoured vehicle expenditure. Of course, there is also an increasing trend in investment in armored vehicles in other countries, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. The militaries of these countries, alarmed by the prospect of a conflict with Russia, have sought to replace obsolete Soviet-made armored vehicles equipped by some Western militaries in Europe with modern platforms that meet NATO standards. These new trends will create new purchasing power for armored vehicles and support European industry in the context of planned reductions in the number of vehicles procured in other regions.
It is expected that the most funds will be spent on tracked armor carriers, infantry fighting vehicles and main battle tanks; By 2029, the cost of tanks alone will increase from $600 million to $2 billion. With the end of the Cold War and the dominance of counter-insurgency military operations, many countries have postponed the replacement of their tracked armored platforms. There is therefore an urgent need for major upgrades of active armored fighting vehicles to ensure that outdated European armored vehicles have the corresponding combat capability in the near future, i.e. before the purchase of a new generation of armored fighting vehicles begins. Despite the recovery in the heavy-duty tracked vehicle market, spending on wheeled armored vehicles is also expected to remain at a fairly high level, accounting for 41% of total costs. Suppliers in this space will produce a variety of platforms, ranging from 4×4 patrol vehicles to 8×8 heavy infantry fighting vehicles to adapt to the changing needs of Western European countries.
The market for anti-mine anti-ambush vehicles (MRAP) continues to shrink as U.S.-led allied forces withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan, and the technology developed for these vehicles has been used to build the next generation of protected patrol cars and 8×8 infantry fighting vehicles. These vehicles are faster to deploy, easier to maintain, and a perfect complement to tracked vehicles.
The 2019-2029 Armored Vehicle Market Forecast Report indicates that the growth of armored vehicles was most pronounced in the first six years of this time period. It is estimated that European Western countries will spend a peak of $7.7 billion in this regard in 2025. It will fall to $6.3 billion in 2026 and will increase to $7.1 billion in 2029. This suggests that most of the improvement upgrades and large-scale procurement plans currently underway in Western European countries will either be completed in the mid-2020s or reach their highest point, which will cause a slowdown or decline in investment growth in other sectors of the market.
In view of this trend emerging in the 8×8 armored carrier/infantry fighting vehicle industry, manufacturers have launched a large number of armored platforms, which are already saturated. Given that most platforms are designed to last more than 40 years, the market will experience bottlenecks in providing new platforms as existing bids are completed. In addition, based on the long-term development of other major projects, such as the planned deployment of the main Franco-German ground combat system in 2035, the next wave of significant increases in procurement costs is expected to be six years later. Therefore, once the current wave of procurement peaks in 2025, only countries such as Bulgaria and the Czech Republic are still in the process of selecting excellent armored platforms, which may support the European armored vehicle market.