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Rheinmetall
Press release ( 08 October 2010) |
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Leopard
2 steals the show in South Africa |
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Leopard
2A4 main battle tank Rheinmetall at AAD 2010 Africa Defense
Exhibition |
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Marking
the African debut of the Leopard 2A4, Rheinmetall Defence
of Germany took advantage of Africa Aerospace & Defence
2010 (AAD) in Cape Town to put the world’s finest
main battle tank through its paces. Daily live presentations
on a special test track proved to be a major draw, with
the Leopard 2A4’s excellent mobility in rough terrain
clearly impressing the crowd. Rheinmetall has been developing
and producing armoured vehicles for over forty years.
The Leopard 2 continues to set the global standard for
modern main battle tanks, with more than 3,600 in existence,
now in service with 16 nations. Although Rheinmetall is
not the main contractor for the Leopard 2 MBT, the company
has nevertheless played an integral role in its development
and production. Moreover, out of a total 2,125 Leopard
2A4 tanks produced, 977 were manufactured entirely by
Rheinmetall in Kiel for the German and Dutch armed forces.
By supplying critical subsystems, Rheinmetall contributes
decisively to the Leopard’s overall performance.
For example, Rheinmetall is responsible for its 120mm
smoothbore main armament, still the world’s finest
tank gun. This cutting edge weapon is produced under licence
in the United States for the M1 Abrams, and is also found
in other MBTs. |
Leopard 2A4 during the dynamic demonstration at AAD
2010 Africa Defense Exhibition
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The
Leopard likewise benefits from Rheinmetall’s globally
leading ammunition technology. Developing perfectly harmonized
combinations of weapons and associated ammunition families
is a longstanding core competence of the Rheinmetall Group,
blending system integration expertise with unrivalled
kinetics know-how.
Developed and manufactured by Rheinmetall and based on
the Leopard, the Büffel/Buffalo 3 armoured recovery
vehicle forms an integral part of the Leopard 2 family
of land systems. Likewise based on the Leopard 2 chassis,
Rheinmetall’s highly versatile Kodiak armoured engineer
vehicle underscores the Group’s competence and capabilities
as a system builder. |
Leopard
2A4 during the dynamic demonstration at AAD 2010 Africa
Defense Exhibition |
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In
the field of C4I and fire control technology, Rheinmetall
possesses a unique selling point. Adapted to the individual
requirements of the user, it supplies customized solutions
that can be integrated into existing higher-echelon command
and control systems.
Furthermore, user nations benefit from Rheinmetall’s
longstanding experience in maintenance and system support
– even during deployed operations. Made-tomeasure
logistical concepts guarantee high levels of readiness
and reliability for systems in service worldwide. Moreover,
the recent integration of MAN’s military truck division
means that Rheinmetall now has a tightly woven, comprehensive
global service network. Rheinmetall’s logistical
philosophy also embraces the use of existing military
resources as well as local contractors, thus providing
users with maximum strategic independence.
Rheinmetall Denel Munition of South Africa forms an integral
part of the Rheinmetall Defence Group. In particular,
the integration of the 155mm L52 main armament from the
company’s PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer into
Denel Land Systems’ outstanding G6 artillery system
– earmarked for third-party customers – shows
the Rheinmetall is willing and able cooperate successfully
with the South African defence industry. |
Leopard
2A4 Rheinmetall main battle tank at AAD 2010 Africa Defense
Exhibition
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With
a view to future combat scenarios, Rheinmetall’s
MBT Revolution modular upgrade programme is a coherent
concept for adapting the Leopard 2 and other tanks for
new missions. In particular, the concept includes a fully
digitized turret as well as a 360° protection package
capable of withstanding the full array of asymmetric threats.
3rd generation optical sight and reconnaissance technology
rounds this compelling performance upgrade suite. Finally,
at its Unterlüß competence centre, Rheinmetall
boasts the largest proving ground and firing range in
Europe. Located near the German Army Armour School in
Munster, this sprawling facility gives the company a huge
advantage in developing new defence technolog solutions
– independently and economically.
During the current Afghanistan mission, the Leopard 2
has performed impressively in the face of asymmetric threats
such as landmines and IEDs, saving crewmembers’
lives. Today, there is no denying that main battle tanks
will continue to play a decisive role in assuring the
combat effectiveness and survivability of friendly forces
on future battlefields. For the South African National
Defence Forces – currently reviewing possible replacements
for the aging Olifant tank – this is likely to be
a key consideration. |
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