Referenz-Foto CD "Leopard 1 A4"

Photo CD with reference photos for the military / vehicle enthusiasts and modellers.
Overall views and details from all areas of vehicle.
57 photos in JPG format (playable in any standard PC with CD drive and many current DVD players)

The Leopard 1 A4 represented the sixth and final production batch of the Leopard 1 built for the Bundeswehr, with 250 vehicles manufactured between 1974 and 1976. It retained the angular welded-steel turret with spaced armour introduced on the A3, but incorporated a fundamentally modernised and fully integrated fire-control system. Its key components included the EMES 12A1 stereoscopic rangefinder, an improved ballistic fire-control computer and the commander’s stabilised PERI R12 panoramic sight with an infrared night-vision channel. This enabled the commander to independently acquire targets while the tank was on the move and to designate them directly to the gunner, significantly improving target acquisition speed and first-round hit probability. The prominent PERI R12 with its protective guard rails also became one of the most distinctive external features of the A4.

Armament remained centred on the rifled 105 mm L7 A3 main gun, supplemented by two 7.62 mm MG3 machine guns. With a combat weight of around 42 tonnes, the four-man tank was powered by the MTU MB 838 CaM 500 ten-cylinder multifuel engine producing 830 hp, allowing a top road speed of approximately 65 km/h. Due to the additional internal space required by the upgraded fire-control equipment, the main-gun ammunition capacity was reduced to 55 rounds. The Leopard 1 A4 therefore represented less an increase in firepower or armour protection than a substantial advance in target acquisition and fire-control capability, marking the technological high point of the newly built Leopard 1 production variants operated by the Bundeswehr.