The Leopard tank was developed in Germany in the 1960s. The first production Leopard was built in 1965. Low maintenance was a major factor in its design. The tank is supported on seven sets of main road wheels per track, the idler is at the front and the drive-sprocket is at the rear.
Suspension is by torsion-bars which pass across the hull.
With preparation, the Leopard has deep-fording capabilities. It can be sealed for nuclear and biological warfare. There are four series of the basic battle tank, A1 to A4. The A4 gained a new turret with spaced armour. Leopard 2 A revised Leopard 2 was trialed in the 1970s.