Penguin
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2009
- Messages
- 13,047
- Reaction score
- 56
You are too kindI respect that you went through all that trouble to make that list, so I'll refrain from coming down hard. But these are just recent purchases. The Netherlands alone purchased over 440 leopard 2 tanks during the end of the cold war in the 80s. Just saying.
Yeah, that is because my country's arny was the launch customer for LEO2, so? All but 15 (!) of these 440 have been sold as military surplus.
Leopard 2, was first produced in 1979. During the cold war. The Leopard 2 is, one of the most sucessfull projects of the last generation of main battle tanks, with over 3,200 units produced.
In September 1977 the German MoD had formally decided to go ahead with plans for production of 1,800 Leopard 2, which were to be delivered in five batches.
A total of 380 Leopard 2 were built in the first batch. The first six were delivered in 1979. Another 100 were delivered in 1980 and 229 in 1981. By 1982 production was running at 300 a year, with the last first batch Leopard 2 delivered in March of that year. Production of the second batch began in March 1982 and ended in November 1983 (450 vehicles). The 300 Leopard 2 of the third batch were built between November 1983 and November 1984. The fourth batch was built between December 1984 and December 1985 (300 vehicles). Between December 1985 and March 1987 370 batch 5 vehicles were delivered.
Although only five batches were originally intended to be built, an order for a sixth batch of 150 vehicles was placed in june 1987 and delivered between January 1988 and May 1989. Production of 100 seventh batch vehicles began in May 1989 and ended in April 1990. Between January 1991 and March 1992 a further 75 vehicles were delivered.
After delivery of the last eight batch vehicle, there were 2.125 Leopard 2 A4 in service with the Bundeswehr.
225 are currently active, with some 100 being reactived from stores
If you add the 445 to the Nethertlands, the count is 2,570. The Netherlands contracted the tanks in June 1979 and they were delivered 1981 through 1986 worden geleverd. The first arrived in the Netherlands July 1981, with the official transfer taking place early September 1981. They were from the second and third production batch.
Switzerland license produced 345
Spain ordered 219 Leopard 2E with deliveries 2004-2008
In March 2003, the Hellenic Army of Greece ordered 170 Leopard 2 HEL for delivery 2006-2009
Adding these you end up at 3305
All the rest are of the exports are used vehicles and/or rebuilds.
The original requirement for trhe LeClerc by the French was 1400. This was soon reduced to 690. Eventually they got 222+184=406 tanks + 20 ARV. UAE got 388 tanks plus 46 ARV and 2 school vehicles. So, domestic use and export is about 50/50. All of these are new built
Looking at the Leo 2, the ratio in new builts is about 2150 domestic and some 1200 for export. A least a third of those exports has been resold to third parties or back to the German manufacturer and available for reexport (Dutch vehicles), as well as a good portion of the domestic ones.