NMMA

The Leopard 2 MBT was the replacement for the Leopard 1 MBT, which was first produced in 1963. After the abortive German-US Kampfpanzer 70/MBT-70 project, which ran from 1963 to 1969, the German Kampfpanzer 70 was used as a starting point for further development of what was to become the Leopard 2, first produced in 1979. The Leopard 2 underwent a series of upgrades, resulting in various versions, the Leopard 2A1 through Leopard 2A6 EX. The model in this article is a “Leopard 2A4 (8. Baulos, or 8th Batch)”. This was the last version of the Leopard 2A4 before switching to the Leopard 2A5. For more detailed development information you can read: “The Leopard series of Main Battle Tanks”, and check the references at the end of the current article. Continue Reading »

According to Christopher Chant (World Encyclopaedia of the Tank), the AMX-13 finds its origins in a 1946 requirement of the French airborne forces for an air portable tank to provide fire support. The resulting light tank with high velocity 75 mm gun has been used by the French army, as well as a number of other armies, for reconnaissance and tank destroying purposes. It is interesting to note that the French AMX 13 75mm gun was derived from the German Panther. Continue Reading »

Having picked up the kit at a model show, I quickly found out that there’s precious little information available on the real thing, other than mention of the conversion by the Taiwanese, so the following information comes from AFV’s description in the construction manual. In order to modernize their MBTs the ROC developed the M48H in collaboration with General Dynamics Land Systems. The program started in 1984, resulting in two prototypes in 1988, and production from 1990 onwards. The tank is a hybrid, consisting of an M60A3 chassis with M48 roadwheels, an M48A5 turret, and a fire control system similar to the one in the M1 Abrams. Weapons consist of a 105 mm main gun, a 7.62 mm coax, and both a 7.62 mm and a 12.7 mm for air defence, mounted at the loader’s and commander’s stations, respectively. The production has been completed, and 550 M48H MBTs are in service with the ROC Army. Continue Reading »