Is the era of the main tank (MBT) over? This is the question that was first asked by military analysts after seeing how tanks were destroyed in Chechnya, Syria, Azerbaijan and most recently in Ukraine. Many are beginning to see heavy MBTs already left behind like battleships that went extinct after World War II.
The answer to this question has yet to be found and therefore Rheimetall has showcased their modern MBT concept KF51 Panther at the Eurosatory 2022. The design of the KF51 is similar to a Leopard 2 with a few changes.
First of all the main cannon is from the caliber 130mm Rheinmetall Future Gun System (FGS) with a smoothbore design. This allows it to launch various types of ammunition such as APFSDS, HEAT and programmable ones. The ammunition insertion system is automatic to speed up the firing process.
An active protection system will repel any type of attack including from above using ATGM. In Ukraine all types of passive protection such as ERA are unable to prevent tanks being destroyed due to missile attacks from above that have a thinner protective layer.
Only three crews are needed to operate. Two in the turret and another in the guide position. Another crew can be added to control a drone system that can be used for battlefield monitoring purposes or weapons that can hover before attacking the enemy.
The advantage of the KF51 lies in its weight of only around 59 tons which is much lighter than MBTs like the M1A2 and Leopard 2. This allows it to move faster and capture on the battlefield in the event of an attack.