1/72 German Main Battle Tank Leopard 2 A4

The Leopard 2 A4 is one of the most successful main battle tanks of Western design. It was developed in the mid-1980s as an improved production version of the basic Leopard 2 type, which entered service with the Bundeswehr in 1979. The A4 variant brought a number of technical improvements - notably reinforced composite armour front of the turret and hull, an upgraded fire control system and digitised on-board systems. As a result, it became the standard not only for the German Army, but also for a number of allied nations that acquired the Leopard 2 A4 as part of export or modernisation programmes. In 1994 it proved its quality in independent Swedish tests, where it beat competitors such as the M1A1 Abrams, T-80U or Leclerc in the categories of protection, accuracy of fire (success rate of over 91%) and reliability.

The design of the Leopard 2 A4 is based on the philosophy of modularity and high combat readiness. The tank weighs over 55 tonnes and is powered by a 1,500 hp twelve-cylinder MTU MB 873 Ka-501 turbodiesel, which This enables high agility even in difficult terrain and at the same time ensures a long range (over 500 km on the road). The main armament consists of the 120mm smoothbore L/44 gun, which at the time of its introduction was one of the mostthe most powerful tank guns in the world, enabling it to destroy targets at long ranges with high accuracy. The armouring of the turret and hull uses composite materials (NERA, later ceramic layers) to provide protection against both kinetic and cumulative projectiles. The crew of four has modern instrumentation, separate crew and engine compartments and a fire protection system.

The Leopard 2 A4 is of interest to modellers because it represents the "classic" form of this tank before the introduction of the wedge-shaped additional turret armour (typical of later A5 and A6 versions). Clean lines, a distinctive silhouette and characteristic details such as turret boxes, reactive armor mounts (on some export versions) or the typical German three-color NATO camouflage of the 1980s. offer room for different colouring and weathering options. The 1:72 scale Meng kit combines a good level of detail with a practical size suitable for display cases and dioramas. The package does not include the paints or glues needed for assembly.