Entering service with the German Bundeswehr in the mid ‘80s, the Leopard 2A4 was the final modification of the early serial production Leopard 2. War Thunder tankers and fans of German ground vehicles can look forward to the addition of one of the most iconic German steel beasts of all time, coming to the game with update 1.79!

In War Thunder, the new Leopard 2A4 will continue to expand the roster of vehicles available to tankers at rank VI of the German ground forces tree. Compared to the already familiar Leopard 2K, the 2A4 vastly expands the options available to its commander by offering noticeable improvements most notably in the protection department.

Unlike the Leopard 2K, the 2A4 offers significantly better protection compared to its predecessor. As the Leopard 2A4 moves away from relying on thin yet sloped spaced armor to using a composite solution of far greater effectiveness, it’s able to more often reliably deal with incoming enemy fire than the 2K. Capable of taking hits and remaining combat operational allows the Leopard 2A4 to take on a much more central role in combat, being able to get into the thick of the fighting with favorable odds of coming out of it victorious.

However, better armor protection usually comes at the expense of weight. This is most certainly the case with the Leopard 2A4, as its combat weight of 55 tons presents quite the weight increase over the 2K’s 50 tons. As both machines use a 1.500 horsepower engine, future Leopard 2A4 commanders will have to take into account the slightly reduced power/weight ratio as well as a decrease in top speed by about 2 km/h, as a result of the increase in weight.

The primary armaments choice also remains the same on the Leopard 2A4. Using the same Rheinmetall 120 L/44 smoothbore cannon, aspiring commanders of this machine can take full advantage of the experiences gathered from playing the Leopard 2K to immediately make the most out of the signature accuracy and damage offered by this legendary gun.

The Leopard 2A4, however, is a lot more vulnerable against aerial threats. Whilst the Leopard 2K offered a devastating roof-mounted 20mm autocannon for use against unsuspecting aerial targets, the 2A4 is only equipped with two rifle-caliber machine guns, one mounted coaxially and the other on top of the turret. This means that Leopard 2A4 drivers will have to coordinate their efforts with allied SPAA drivers in order to stay safe from aerial attacks.

The Leopard 2A4 will be charging the top tier ground battles of War Thunder with the release of the upcoming major update 1.79. What do you think about the Leopard 2A4? Excited to see it come to the game or are you looking forward to something else? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more information on the next major update coming to War Thunder. Until then, tankers!       

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The War Thunder Team