Leopard AS1 Medium Tank

The Leopard AS1 (AS is the NATO abbreviation for Australia) utilises the Leopard 1 hull and the fabricated steel turret of the introduced with the Leopard 1A3 series. The vehicles were manufactured by Krauss Maffei and the Australian MBTs carry the factory hull numbers 17001 to 17091. In Australian service, the MBTs carry the Army Registration Numbers (ARN) 27706 to 27781, and 29386 to 29399. The hull of the MBT and Bridgelayer use stowage boxes, rather than the more common tool racks of German vehicles, in which to stow the pioneer tools and other implements. Two boxes are mounted on the right side, equispaced around the heater outlet, and one box on the left side towards the rear. On the glacis plate are mounted three rails for carrying 20 track grousers, which can replace some of the rubber track pads in adverse ground conditions. Fifteen tanks have special lugs welded to the lower glacis plate, where it meets the hull floor. These are for the mounting of the special equipment interface kits for the dozer blade, the mine plough and the mine roller sets.
The vehicle is powered by a Daimler Benz V10 diesel engine developing 610 kW, which drives though a ZF automatic gearbox with four forward and two reverse gears. The power pack is a tropicalized version of the standard unit allowing operation at 50ºC ambient temperature. Speeds of up to 62 km/hr can be attained. Standard torsion bar suspension with seven roadwheel stations and four track support rollers (return rollers) each side provide the tanks excellent cross country mobility. Diehl double pin track is fitted. The driver sits on the right side of the hull, and has a floor escape hatch as well as his swinging roof hatch.
The turret is of all welded construction with spaced armour, providing increased protection levels over the original cast turret. A British - designed 105mm L7A3 gun with thermal jacket and fume extractor is the main armament of the Leopard AS1. The Tank Fire Control System (TFCS), by the Sabca Company of Belgium comprises a laser rangefinder, seven ballistic sensors and a fire control computer. The laser range finder operates through an aperture on the right of the mantlet - there is no corresponding opening on the left. The sensors provide data to the computer on air temperature and pressure, charge temperature, barrel wear, cross wind and vehicle cant. The cross wind sensor is mounted on the forward part of the turret roof, surrounded by a round wire cage for protection. The commander has a panoramic sight, mounted on the turret roof forward of his cupola. Two 7.62 mm machine guns are carried - one is co-axial with the main armament, the other can be mounted either on the commander's or loaders cupola, and in both positions it can be used in the anti-aircraft role. The gunner and commander sit on the right side of the turret, with the loader occupying the left side. A searchlight is carried in one of the armoured bins at the rear of the turret, and can be mounted on top of the left side of the mantlet.