This results in a three-man crew consisting of the tank commander, gunner, and driver. The KF51, like the Leopard 2, uses an autoloader for the main gun.

The barrel is also fitted with a futuristic-looking shroud, but it’s not clear how it contributes to the efficiency or effectiveness of the tank. That comes out to 6,760 millimeters, or 22.1 feet long. According to Europäische Sicherheit & Technik, the new gun is a 130-millimeter/L52 gun, meaning the barrel length is 52 times the diameter of the barrel. Rheinmetall claims FGS has a “50 percent longer kill range” than the older 120-millimeter guns. The new gun, named Future Gun System (FGS), is largely in response to the new Russian T-14 Armata tank, which was first unveiled in 2015. Still, its appearance spooked the U.S and other NATO countries. Rheinmetall unveiled the Panther (pictured at the top of this story) featuring a gray, black, and neon yellow digital-camouflage pattern.įirst introduced in 2015, Russia’s T-14 Armata tank has proved vaporware, with only a few entering service with the Russian Ground Forces. The show, held every two years, is a showcase for Europe’s arms manufacturers to advertise their latest equipment. On Monday, Düsseldorf, Germany-based Rheinmetall, an arms manufacturing firm, unveiled the KF51 Panther at France’s Eurosatory arms show. The Panther even has the ability to counter so-called “top-attack” munitions, like the American-made Javelin missile, that are decimating Putin’s army in Ukraine. The KF51, also known as the “Panther,” is bristling with new technology, including a larger main gun, a digital computer backbone, and a full suite of defensive features. Germany has unveiled a new main battle tank-its first in more than 40 years. Panther adds a larger gun, suicide drones, and a new system to defeat top-attack anti-tank weapons.The tank, KF51, is called the “Panther,” sharing its name with a World War II-era tank.Germany’s Rheinmetall has unveiled a new, next-generation tank for the modern battlefield.

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