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| Specifications of KF51 Panther, The New German Tank More Sophisticated Than Leopard 2 |
The KF51 Panther main battle tank was shown at the world's largest military industry trade show, Eurosatory, in Paris last June. Appearing as one of the interesting stars, the KF51 Panther tank displays various advantages. Rheinmetall, the German defense company, released details of the new KF51 Panther tank last month.
According to information from the European Defense Review, The Panther is an armored vehicle with an operational weight of "only 59 tons" and a maximum operational range of 500 kilometers. “(The KF51 Panther Tank) is expected to be a game changer on future battlefields thanks to new standards in all areas: lethality, protection, intelligence, interconnection and mobility,” quoted from the Bulgarian Military website.
Rheinmetall Vice President, Alexander Kurth, explained that the design of the KF51 Panther main battle tank was made to surpass the Leopard 2 tank which was still based on 1980s technology. A striking difference in the main armament, the KF51 Panther tank uses an innovative 130 mm smoothbore gun and can reload ammunition automatically.
Rheinmetall estimates that this gun is 50% more effective than the current 120 mm gun used in the Leopard 2 tank. The 120 mm gun system has been judged to have reached its limit and is no longer lethal against the new tank protection being developed by Russia.
The defense and armor systems of the KF51 Panther tank have also been overhauled, especially to deal with illegal munitions threats such as suicide drones or kamikazes. Even Rheinmetall also equips the KF51 Panther tank with a small drone to improve reconnaissance capabilities.
The KF51 Panther tank is designed to be able to go at a speed of 70 km/hour and accelerate from 0 to 40 km/hour in 8 seconds. The Panther KF51 is prepared to deal with 60% tilt and 30% sideways. In addition, it is made capable of overcoming ditches 2.5 meters wide, steps 1.1 meters high and water depth 1.2 meters.
The crew configuration of the tank is such that all can perform any task at any time. So, if necessary, the commander or gunner can divert the tank from its course or the driver can fire from his own direction. This task is made easy because the KF51 Panther tank is facilitated by a 23-inch main screen that offers a view of the entire environment thanks to a sophisticated 360-degree front camera.
In it, the tank crew can see other points of view, such as the view of the commander and gunner positions. The system can be used to plan or control actions, is complemented by two other 10-inch displays to offer a fuller view and serves as an alternative if the main screen is damaged.
Most importantly, this layer offers a 360-degree image produced by a double-sided dome camera. The manufacturer estimates that it will produce between 500 and 800 units of the new KF51 Panther battle tank by 2035. After that, production numbers will increase to between 5,000 and 8,000 units.