Panzerkampf has witnessed great success in the 1:72 scale military vehicle market so it was just a matter of time before they took up an older yet somewhat potent armored fighting vehicle — the Leopard 2A4 main battle tank. The Leopard 2 is a third generation German main battle tank (MBT) that was developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s. It entered service in 1979 and replaced the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the West German Army. Various iterations of the Leopard 2 continue to be operated by the armed forces of Germany, as well as 13 other European countries, and several non-European countries, including Canada, Chile, Indonesia and Singapore. Some operating countries have licensed the Leopard 2 design for local production and domestic development.
The most widespread version of the Leopard 2 family, the 2A4 models included more substantial changes, including an automated fire and explosion suppression system, an all-digital fire control system able to handle new ammunition types, and an improved turret with flat titanium/tungsten armor. The Leopard 2s were manufactured in eight batches between 1985 and 1992. All the older models were upgraded to 2A4 standard. Until 1994, Germany operated a total of 2,125 2A4s (695 newly built and the rest modified older versions), while the Netherlands had an additional 445 tanks. The 2A4 was licensed and manufactured in Switzerland as the Panzer 87 “Leopard” or Pz 87. This version included Swiss-built 7.5 mm MG 87 machine guns and communications equipment and featured an improved NBC protection system. Switzerland operated 380 Pz 87 tanks.
After 2000, Germany and the Netherlands found themselves with large stocks of tanks that they had no need for after the Cold War. These tanks were sold to NATO or friendly armies around the world. Among these buyers of the surplus tanks were Turkey (purchasing 354 vehicles), Greece (183), Sweden (160), Chile (140), Finland (139), Poland (128), Austria (114), Spain (108), Canada (107), Indonesia (103), Singapore (96), Norway (52), Denmark (51), and Portugal (37).
A successful design by any measure, the Leopard 2A4 has become the latest subject of Panzerkampf’s well-heeled diecast army. Not only will the latest replica faithfully replicate every feature of the 2A4, but it will also include a detachable snorkel, which was used to let the vehicle ford streams and some minor rivers.. Four versions will make the cut, including one based upon a vehicle handed over to the Ukrainian Army to defend its sovereign territory against the Federal Republic of Russia. Look for their latest combat vehicle to storm the battlefield later this Spring.