Leopard 3

Leopard 3
Leopard 3
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	Germany
Production history
Designer	KNDS Deutschland, Rheinmetall and Hensoldt
Designed	Since 2025
Developed from	Leopard 2A8
Produced	Expected in the 2030s
Specifications
Crew	3 (driver, gunner, commander)
Shell	DM11, DM13, DM23
Shell weight	30 kg (66 lb)
Caliber	130mm
Effective firing range	10 km (6.2 mi)
Main; armament	130mm Rheinmetall L/51 smoothbore gun
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The Leopard 3, also known as the Leopard 2AX,^[3] is a fourth-generation German main battle tank (MBT).^[4]^[5]

Germany plans to purchase the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) as a successor to the Leopard 2 (variants 2A5, 2A6 and 2A7). This tank won't be ready before the 2040s. The German Army expressed new needs for an interim solution. Early 2025, the development of this Leopard 3 was kicked of, and it is expected to enter production in the early 2030s.^[6]^[7]^[8]

It is designed with a service life of 25 years.^[9]

As of July 2025, the German Army expressed a need for 1,000 additional tanks that would be made of Leopard 2A8, Leopard 3 and MGCS.^[10]

Design

Early design information

The changes that were mentioned from the Leopard 2A8 include:^[9]

A new tank gun: Rheinmetall Rh-130 L/51 [de] with a 50% increased kinetic energy compared to the Rh-120.
Munitions:^[9]^[11]
- DM11 (130 mm variant), a multifunctional combat ammunition (HE) for fire support
- DM13, standard APFSDS (Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot)
- DM23, higher energy APFSDS
A new engine from Liebherr.^[9]^[12] KNDS Deutschland received a contract to offer an alternative engine with the project OLYMP, with the aim to improve the mobility. The project OLYMP also includes a transmission, steering, and cooling systems.
Hensoldt would supply the MUSS 2.0 countermeasure system against modern ATGM.^[9]^[13]
Remote turret with an automatic loader and a crew of three people.

Operators

Potential operators

Germany

The German Army operates 295 tanks as of 2025:

The German Army ordered:

17 Leopard 2A7 A1^[14]
123 Leopard 2A8^[15]^[16]

Future plans:

As of July 2025, the German Army plans to order up to 1,000 additional MBT.^[10] This would likely include a mix of Leopard 2A8 (because the production started), the intermediate solution of the Leopard 2AX / Leopard 3 and the MGCS.^[10]

References

^ "Bundeswehr commissions development of 130mm ammunition as well as new protection system and engine for Leopard 2 main battle tanks" (in German). Retrieved 5 February 2025.
^ "Germany Kicks Off Work On Leopard 3 Main Battle Tank". twz.com. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
^ Triffaux. "Germany Develops Next-Gen Leopard 2AX as Alternative to Joint MGCS Project and Existing Leopard 2A8 Tank". armyrecognition.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
^ Germany Kicks Off Work On Leopard 3 Main Battle Tank
^ YouTube: The Leopard 3 main battle tank is coming soon
^ Newdick, Thomas (2025-02-07). "Germany Kicks Off Work On Leopard 3 Main Battle Tank". The War Zone. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
^ The " Leopard 3" is emerging as the real German interim tank for 2030
^ YouTube: Leopard 3 - the future German main battle tank
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Bundeswehr beauftrag Entwicklung von 130mm-Munition sowie neuem Schutzsystem und Triebwerk für Leopard 2 Kampfpanzer" (in German). 2025-02-05. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c Lagneau, Laurent (2025-07-05). "Berlin envisage d'acquérir 1 000 chars Leopard et 2 500 blindés Boxer supplémentaires pour 25 milliards d'euros". Zone Militaire (in French). Retrieved 2025-07-05.
^ sam (2025-02-06). "Germany initiates development of Leopard 3 -". Retrieved 2025-07-05.
^ "Entwicklung des Leopard 2 AX beauftragt » Sicherheit & Verteidigung" (in German). 2025-02-06. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
^ "MUSS 2.0". HENSOLDT. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
^ ES&T Redaktion (2021-11-03). "Abstandsaktives Schutzsystem Trophy auf Leopard 2 A7A1 erfolgreich getestet". esut.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-10-25.
^ "Germany to buy Leopard tanks, howitzers to make up for Ukraine supplies - source". Reuters. 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
^ "Bundeswehr erhält 105 zusätzliche Leopard 2 A8 Kampfpanzer" (in German). 2024-07-03. Retrieved 2024-07-04.

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[1] "Bundeswehr commissions development of 130mm ammunition as well as new protection system and engine for Leopard 2 main battle tanks" (in German). Retrieved 5 February 2025.

[2] "Germany Kicks Off Work On Leopard 3 Main Battle Tank". twz.com. Retrieved 7 February 2025.

[3] Triffaux. "Germany Develops Next-Gen Leopard 2AX as Alternative to Joint MGCS Project and Existing Leopard 2A8 Tank". armyrecognition.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.

[4] Germany Kicks Off Work On Leopard 3 Main Battle Tank

[5] YouTube: The Leopard 3 main battle tank is coming soon

[6] Newdick, Thomas (2025-02-07). "Germany Kicks Off Work On Leopard 3 Main Battle Tank". The War Zone. Retrieved 2025-07-05.

[7] The " Leopard 3" is emerging as the real German interim tank for 2030

[8] YouTube: Leopard 3 - the future German main battle tank

[:1-9] "Bundeswehr beauftrag Entwicklung von 130mm-Munition sowie neuem Schutzsystem und Triebwerk für Leopard 2 Kampfpanzer" (in German). 2025-02-05. Retrieved 2025-07-05.

[:0-10] Lagneau, Laurent (2025-07-05). "Berlin envisage d'acquérir 1 000 chars Leopard et 2 500 blindés Boxer supplémentaires pour 25 milliards d'euros". Zone Militaire (in French). Retrieved 2025-07-05.

[11] sam (2025-02-06). "Germany initiates development of Leopard 3 -". Retrieved 2025-07-05.

[12] "Entwicklung des Leopard 2 AX beauftragt » Sicherheit & Verteidigung" (in German). 2025-02-06. Retrieved 2025-07-05.

[13] "MUSS 2.0". HENSOLDT. Retrieved 2025-07-05.

[esut.de3-14] ES&T Redaktion (2021-11-03). "Abstandsaktives Schutzsystem Trophy auf Leopard 2 A7A1 erfolgreich getestet". esut.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-10-25.

[Reuters-15] "Germany to buy Leopard tanks, howitzers to make up for Ukraine supplies - source". Reuters. 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2023-05-26.

[16] "Bundeswehr erhält 105 zusätzliche Leopard 2 A8 Kampfpanzer" (in German). 2024-07-03. Retrieved 2024-07-04.

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v t e Tanks of the post–Cold War era
Main battle	Al-Khalid tank Al-Zarrar Ariete Arjun Challenger 2 Durjoy Haider K2 Black Panther Karrar Leclerc (Leclerc XLR, Leclerc Evolution) Leopard 2 (Leopard 2E, Leopard 2PL) M1 Abrams Merkava IV Pokpung-ho PT-91 Twardy Ramses II Sabra Stridsvagn 122 T-72M4CZ T-84 T-90 Type 10 Type 72Z Type 96 Type 99 VT-4 Zulfiqar
Light / medium	Kaplan MT / Harimau Sabrah Sabre CVRT 2S25 Sprut-SD Tosan Type 15 / VT-5 Type 63A ZTD-05 / ZLT-05 Type 100
Prototypes, experimentals	AbramsX Altay Black Eagle^X Challenger 3 Cheonma-2 CV90105 / CV90120 K21-105 Leopard 3 M8 armored gun system^X M10 Booker^X M60-2000^X M-84AS M-84AS1 M-84D M-95 Degman^X Main Ground Combat System^X Marder medium tank Panther KF51 Patagón^X PL-01^X Tiam T-14 Armata T-55AGM T-95^X Tank EX^X Zorawar
Cancelled or derelict project^X Post–Cold War tanks List of modern armoured fighting vehicles Background: History of the tank, Tank classification

Leopard 3

Leopard 3

Leopard 3

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Hub overview

Root Wikipedia Article

Leopard 3

Key Information

Design

Early design information

Operators

Potential operators

See also

References