Leopard 1 was developed from the late 1950's and after trials with verious prototypes, Krauss-Maffei of Munich was selected as prime contractor in 1963, with MaK resposible for the specialised version.

The Leopard chassis is widely used as a platform for vehicles like the Biber bridge layer, armored recovery vehicle, Gepard anti-aircraft system and several more. This lightens the maintainance since several vehicles uses the same parts.

Today the tank is used in most western European countries, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, and Botswana. The tank has yet to be proven in real combat (have served in the SFOR forces in the former Yugoslavia), but has served well during NATO excersises and shoot drills.

The latest version of the Leopard 1 is the A5. It has been modified to meet the modern battlefield with thermal imaging device, laser rangefinder, gyro stabilized gun, additional armor, dozer blade and several minor modifications.

Leopard 1 is a well proven machine. It has been upgraded to meet the modern battlefield, and are still serving in many NATO countries.

Picture John Henninge. A Norwegian Tank an it's crew at Hjerkinn Shooting Range, Dovrefjell. Click for full size (94 KB)