Singapore to Acquire Refurbished Leopard Tanks

• Black Aces

  11 Dec 06, 16:48

  Hi, just saw this from MINDEF's website:
  
  http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/news_and_events/nr/2006/dec/11dec06_nr2.html
  
  Singapore Set to Acquire Refurbished Leopard Tanks from Germany
  
  The Singapore Ministry of Defence and the German Federal Ministry of Defence intend to agree upon the sale of Leopard 2A4 tanks from the German Armed Forces to the Singapore Armed Forces.
  
  The acquisition package will consist of 66 refurbished Leopard 2A4 tanks together with 30 spare tanks and supporting equipment. Training on the Leopard tanks will be provided by the German Army.
  
  This acquisition underscores the good defence relationship between Germany and Singapore.
• equlus84

  11 Dec 06, 17:03

  Hmmm..........finally, time has come............
  MINDEF finally feel that MBT this word is no longer a hush hush word that will hit our neighbours raw nerves. So will they parade our centurions ani time soon before retirement?
• dork3d

  11 Dec 06, 17:03

  So would that put us into the upgrading possibility of L2A6 that the Germans are doing now in the near future?
• dork3d

  11 Dec 06, 17:05

  Originally posted by equlus84:

  Hmmm..........finally, time has come............
  MINDEF finally feel that MBT this word is no longer a hush hush word that will hit our neighbours raw nerves. So will they parade our centurions ani time soon before retirement?

  People already parading their PT90Ms and we still can't parade our Tempest...
• equlus84

  11 Dec 06, 17:09

  I notice MINDEF webbie did a side by side comparison with the SM-1, does it mean they are going to buy 350 doing one for one replacement. How abt our LT? Don't tell me they are just gonna waste it like dat? Ani issue is the engine. The engine uses MTU while most of our lighter assets use Detriot, won't that cause a logistical strain?
• dork3d

  11 Dec 06, 17:20

  Here's some interesting info on Leopard 2 MBT...
  
  http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/leo2.htm
• fallin

  11 Dec 06, 17:22

  This is a real surprise. I sincerely believed that they would NEVER reveal the tanks man.
• gary1910

  11 Dec 06, 17:25

  Originally posted by fallin:

  This is a real surprise. I sincerely believed that they would NEVER reveal the tanks man.

  CJ has been dropping hints in the new forum and here for the past week, I'm totally not surprised!!!
• Dr Who

  11 Dec 06, 17:47

  German tank blows up in battle (hopefully not near Gemas.....hehehe)
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iPqd47-h1o
• fallin

  11 Dec 06, 17:51

  I have two questions. Firstly, I know this is a noob question but 120mm refers to the length or diameter of the tank round? Secondly, although I have absolutely doubt regarding the choice of tank, would the number be sufficient for our needs?
• Shotgun

  11 Dec 06, 18:04

  Originally posted by Dr Who:

  German tank blows up in battle (hopefully not near Gemas.....hehehe)
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iPqd47-h1o

  And your point is?
  
  I like this statement though. (From factsheet link on mindef site)
  
  

  Lethality. The Leopard 2A4 is equipped with the 120mm, L44 smoothbore gun, which has the capability to defeat all other armour fighting vehicles.
  
  

  
• gd4u

  11 Dec 06, 18:17

  Hmm, y they compare to SM1 ... it is like comparing Fuji Apples and normal apples ...
• laurence82

  11 Dec 06, 18:26

  Originally posted by gd4u:

  Hmm, y they compare to SM1 ... it is like comparing Fuji Apples and normal apples ...

  its mainly to say how much we improve from our older tanks
  
  surely they are not going to start comparing with the Malaysian armoured vehicles right?
  
  
• Pitot

  11 Dec 06, 18:27

  hahaha. ask wad do we still have in taiwan.
• gd4u

  11 Dec 06, 18:29

  Like my qn was, y could they compare Leopard to Centurion instead ???
• Dr Who

  11 Dec 06, 18:30

  And my point is :
  
  Nowadays, an uneducated desert insurgent can blow up a tank using IEDs......even the famed indestructible Israeli Makarva or M1 Abrams,,,,,
  
  and RPGs will make mincemeat of the AMX/SM1............
  
  
• Pitot

  11 Dec 06, 18:33

  Eh, refurbished 2A4s..
  
  means upgraded or just cleaned up?
• ah_kwang

  11 Dec 06, 18:43

  i thought the sm1 need replacements more urgently than the centurions.
• fallin

  11 Dec 06, 18:46

  Originally posted by gd4u:

  Like my qn was, y could they compare Leopard to Centurion instead ???

  Because officially, we don't have Centurions. How to compare Leopards with something we "don't have".
• Pitot

  11 Dec 06, 18:50

  ANd wad happened to the people who say our fighting area unsuitable for a MBT?
  
  and hor, why not the M1 abrams?
  
  is it because of price issue?
• fallin

  11 Dec 06, 18:54

  Originally posted by Pitot:

  ANd wad happened to the people who say our fighting area unsuitable for a MBT?
  
  and hor, why not the M1 abrams?
  
  is it because of price issue?

  I'm guessing its because of weight issues and fuel efficiency.
• Pitot

  11 Dec 06, 18:56

  Originally posted by fallin:

  I'm guessing its because of weight issues and fuel efficiency.

  Difference 1 ton...
• ah_kwang

  11 Dec 06, 18:59

  Originally posted by Pitot:

  ANd wad happened to the people who say our fighting area unsuitable for a MBT?
  
  and hor, why not the M1 abrams?
  
  is it because of price issue?

  maybe price and value. or even the stigma attached to the M1A1 as many were destroyed during the recent iraq war as it can affect troop and public morale?
• Pitot

  11 Dec 06, 19:01

  Originally posted by ah_kwang:

  maybe price and value. or even the stigma attached to the M1A1 as many were destroyed during the recent iraq war as it can affect troop and public morale?

  maybe..
  
  Our good friends down below also bought refurbished M1s rite?
  
  or brand new? i think it was refurbished...
• sane_guy2

  11 Dec 06, 19:06

  I think this is just a replacement for our centurions. They are getting 66 tanks, which is roughly the number of centurions we have (according to Jane's).
  A light tank is still needed I guess, because of terrain, environment etc.