The German heavy battle tank Leopard 2 is the oldest 3rd generation tank designed in Europe. It is also the one which has achieved the greatest commercial success, with 17 international customers including 13 European countries and 12 NATO members, for a total of more than 2.100 units built. It has only been surpassed in the West by the American Abrams M1, built in 9000 copies, but exported to only 9 countries, none of which are members of NATO or the European Union. Above all, in 2020, the Leopard 2 remains the only European tank still assembled by its designer, the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegman, and its partner Rheinmetall which notably produces the 120 mm Rh-120 cannon.
Five years ago, several NATO members were considering parting with their combat tank force, deemed unsuitable and costly in the context of low to medium intensity wars in which they had participated over the past 5 years. But the geostrategic upheavals in Europe and in the world, and in particular the rapid and significant rise in power of the Russian and Chinese armed forces, have led some of them to revise their positions. Not only will they keep their heavy tanks, but some could even modernize them, or even replace them with more modern armored vehicles.
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