Army’s New Leopard 2A7 Tanks are Flexing their Muscles During Exercise

The tankers of the Hungarian Army’s Klapka György 1st Armored Brigade carried out their first test firing with the latest Leopard 2A7HU tanks, the first of which arrived at Northern-Hungary’s Tata barracks last December.

Currently there are only eight tanks developed for Hungary at the brigade, but deliveries are far from over, as a total of forty-four units of the high-tech military equipment will arrive in Hungary by 2028, along with five Wisent 2HU tractors and three Leguan 2HU bridge-launching combat vehicles.

The armored body of the vehicle is 7.7 meters long, and with the gun forward, the length of the tank is 10.97 meters. The width without additional armor is 3.76 meters and the height is 3.03 meters. Its firepower is provided by an L55A1 type Rheinmetall tank gun with a length of L55 gauge and a 120 millimeter gauge, allowing accurate firing from a range of up to 5,000 meters. The tank is also equipped with a 7.62 millimeter parallel-mounted machine gun, a 12.7 millimeter remotely operated machine gun and 16.76 millimeter smoke grenade launchers capable of firing fragmentation grenades.

According to industry reports, the Leopard 2A7HU tanks are built with reinforced bottom plates, front and roof armor, and are highly resistant to improvised explosive devices and anti-tank mines. The vehicle is equipped with protection against incendiary liquids (e.g. Molotov cocktails, napalm) and an improved automatic fire extinguishing system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While our soldiers are familiarizing themselves with one of the most advanced tanks in the world, Hungary could play a pivotal role in the next generation tank development through partnerships with Rheinmetall and the Franco-German KNDS Group. Rheinmetall’s KF51 Panther project, will most likely involve Hungarian-based facilities, to develop the next-gen MBTs planned 130mm gun or its AI systems. The planned new variant, the KF51-U, with its turret controlled from the armored hull, represents a significant advancement in armored vehicle technology.

Featured Image: Honvedelm.hu