Serge

@KaramazovIn march this year additional 101 A7V were ordered, so alltogether 205.Afair the A7V upgrade also includes a stronger APU, the same like the A7Q uses. Furthermore at least the older A4s will receive the L55A1 instead of the L44 in the process. This  enables the tank to use the programmable fuze of the DM11 HE which replaces the DM12 HEAT-MZ and other future programmable ammunitions (KE2020?). No Idea if or how many of the second order shall be refitted wit the L55A1.
This press release:http://www.bundeswehr-journal.de/2017/rheinmetall-beginnt-panzerumruestung-auf-leopard-2-a7v/#more-8269 also speaks of a new thermal imaging system, a new eye save rangefinder and the removal of obsolescences ( fire control e.g)
 

Today the first Leopard 2A7V was handed over to the Bundeswehr by KMW. The troops must still be a bit patient since the first went to the BAAINBw ( BWB was just to easy *sigh*).

More pictures: https://www.kmweg.de/mediacenter/pressebilder.html
While Germany got it's first of 104 A7V which will be  delivered untill 2023, Denmark received it's first of 44 A7 which will be delivered untill 22.
source:https://www.kmweg.de/fileadmin/user_upload/news/KMW_Pressemitteilung_Daenemark_und_Deutschland_erhalten_modernste_Versionen_des_LEOPARD_2.pdf

Rare coulour pics of the aluminum-hulled Vickers main battle tank Mk. 4 (later renamed Valiant) with an early version of the Universal Turret :
 

 

Brimstone.

However sadly it seems to be mounted on a Land Rover parked behind the CR2.

Rheinmetall also confirmed that an unmanned turret for the Leopard 2 is being developed, mounting this gun.

And and that this info's came public due to sevral polish military journalist in 2015 ;-)
 
More seriously - sucht german patent:
https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/4a/31/76/4c24841d62e3ce/US20180224251A1.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1SAv9tFXS7rPPAqhy4YDU6Cu10vt5sGK7tYRqBN8BW55NaOliQHJI-JLA
 
Show this idea:

 
 
When we are talking sevral years ago the only posiblities to overcome sucht thick and multi-ERA-layerd armour like on Oplot-M (whit some consist Lmax for western 120mm ammo) was to change idea of the attack, and infos about data-link for M829E4, Nexter OLF-F1NG, and...KE2020 whare some aditional help to think how to hell it could work.
And really the only resonable option is detached during fly precursor -in fact it can be very elegeant and simply solution but onnly whit state-of-art metalurgy. Just metal  conection beetween main rod and precursor which overheat during fly  lets go "precursor" - rest is pure areodynamic or in more complex way - small air breakers somwhere near fins or tracer - just tiny ones to very small incarase aerodynamic resistance.

New here, but I've followed this thread (and Mech Warfare) for a good while.
 
I attend the United States Military Academy and it is branch week here. Armor brought an M1A2 SEPv2 which, while awesome and cool to get inside of, was nothing new. However, they had a cutaway of a M829A4 round, which was on public display so it's not breaking OPSEC. Thought it would interest you guys.
 


 
Edit: I have no official measurements but I've looked at some photos of M829A3 and the penetrator definitely seems longer based on the sabot petals seeming to be longer at the top.

Brimstone 

Image speaks for itself.
 
 

Once more « happy birthday » but with an article today 
https://esut.de/2019/10/fachbeitraege/ruestung/15489/40-jahre-in-der-nutzung-kampfpanzer-leopard-2/?fbclid=IwAR2x65JSukdpESiLfVcRnwwVpQnTUwKBNjthQoxj4nS47rYTpqyibRxyB94

Happy birthday Leopard-2.

Towed artillery would get counterbatteried 10 ways to hell so fast it'd make your head spin. Fire systems incapable of dodging or surviving counterbattery fire will have fuckall survivability in a big boy war. Doubly so for towed guns with substantially less range than enemy artillery, such as say the M777 compared to pretty much anything modern on the opposite side.
Fire-finding radars are everywhere since the 1990s, and the gun's survivability has to be evaluated under the understanding that the enemy is going to shoot back. 
Given that, the ability to shoot and scoot before enemy fire arrives is a critical survivability measure.

Well in SPz Puma even hot air exhaust is made by double slopped NERA:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
About month ago I looked very cearfully on Shutzpanzer Puma on Ostrava NATO days :-) Lets's sey that is  better protected then I suspected. Mucht better. Talks whit crew was very interesting too.
 
In fact for upper front hull part SC jet or 30-40mm KE rod must overcome 2 or 3 slopped on 18@ NERA plates, then overcome slopped front plate (LOS ca.50-60mm) then fly trought engine comparment and finnaly overcome 20mm bulkhead before crew comparment.  In lower hull we have two slopped 15mm plates whit primary engine fuel tank (50L) then we have huge slab of metal - HSWL and MTU engine and then 20mm bulkhead.
IMHO Puma front is between 200-250mm vs KE penetrator from medium caliber automatic canons. In case SC warhed lower hull is less protected but upper hull - it shoud be able to stop any 80's ATGM without precursor and propably RPG-28 and PzF-3T frontally. A lot of NERA and huge space is nice protection IMHO.    
Couple photos:
Engine compartment - look at triple NERA layers:
 

 
NeRa or NxRA everywhere...:

 
Here is visible bulkhead thickenss:

 
And chamber for 50L fuel tank and doubla slopped ca.15mm plates:

 

Freccia VBM

Various equipements and vehicles:
 
 

Not nearly as exciting as the real thing, but some interesting details nonetheless:
 

 

 

 

I did - they were excellent hosts, even after I mentioned that I was a tourist in terms of potential business 
 
PSM was there as PSM, no relationship to Rheinmetall (I know, I know). They seem to think that their platform is the best match to OMFV requirements.
 
 

Ze Germans at AUSA2019. Pics are mine. 
 



 

 

 

First concept works of MGCS will start soon. A total of nine parts of concept studies will be developed, three by Rheinmetall, three by KMW and three by Nexter. The will be managed by a 18 men project team, lead by Germany. A new company will be formed for the MGCS development, 50% owned by German companies (Rheinmetall and KMW by equal amounts), while the other 50% will be owned by Nexter.