Monday, December 9

Amusing Hobby hit the range with their Leopard 2 A-RC3.0...

Making more modern battlefield prototypes for the next generation of warfighting, Amusing Hobby has sent images of their forthcoming test kit, the Leopard 2 A-RC3.0. We look at the features of the real tank & the test kit in our preview...

Amusing Hobby hit the range with their Leopard 2 A-RC3.0...

 Leopard 2 A-RC3.0
From Amusing Hobby
Kit No. 35A062
1/35th scale
Injection-moulded kit
Photo-etch included.
Release date TBC
The Subject: The Leopard 2 A-RC3.0
The Leopard 2A-RC is a cutting-edge variant of the German Leopard 2 main battle tank & has been developed by the French-German defence conglomerate KNDS. This advanced tank features a revolutionary unmanned turret, which significantly enhances crew protection and combat capabilities. The variant showcased at the Eurosatory exhibition in June 2024 features an unmanned turret equipped with a 120 mm smoothbore gun, which can be replaced with a 130 mm or 140 mm gun. 

An image of the real tank looking very much like the box art...
The turret's modular linear autoloader can load three rounds in just 10 seconds. The secondary armament includes a 30x113mm cannon capable of countering drone threats and an anti-tank missile. The vehicle's protection system consists of an active protection system and a smoke grenade launcher. It weighs under 60 tonnes, measures 7.95 metres in length, and extends to 11.17 metres with the barrel. The vehicle's width is 3.77 metres, and its height is 2.44 meters. The engine produces 1,500 horsepower, enabling the vehicle to reach a speed of 65 kilometres per hour and travel 460 kilometres on a single charge. The crew consists of three members: a commander, driver, and gunner, all located within the chassis.
Key Features:
- The compact compartment below the turret houses the commander, gunner, and driver, reducing the tank's targetable area by up to 30%.
- The tank is equipped with a powerful 1,500 HP engine, allowing it to reach speeds of 65 km/h and a range of 460 km.
- The modular turret can be fitted with various calibers and includes an autoloader capable of firing three rounds in 10 seconds
The Leopard 2A-RC is not a scaled-down version of the German-made Leopard 2 main battle tank. Instead, it is a game-changing variant that retains the iconic tank's tracked chassis and main hull while introducing an unmanned turret. This design reduces the tank's profile and enhances crew protection, making it a formidable and modernised fighting machine.
The 2A-RC 3.0 variant offers a high level of modularity, allowing the turret to employ guns of various calibers. The autoloader is capable of firing three rounds in 10 seconds, outperforming tanks with a crew of four. The armament set is configurable for both direct line-of-sight (3DLOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) engagements.
The Leopard 2A-RC 3.0 is a lean and mean fighting machine, weighing less than 60 tonnes, depending on the configuration. It is powered by a 1,100 kW (1,500 HP) engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 65 km/h and a range of 460 km.
The Leopard 2A-RC's unmanned turret with autoloader design is similar to the Russian T-14 Armata MBT and the United States' AbramsX tank demonstrator. However, it still needs to address the shortcomings seen in Soviet/Russian-design tanks that employed the similar system, such as the infamous "jack-in-the-box" of exploding turrets...

The kit from Amusing Hobby:
This new kit, number #35A058 from Amusing Hobby, captures the lines of this very new Leopard type, the Leopard 2 A-RC3.0. The tank is rather new, and so there are some features that will not be completely covered in real life or adapted before this thing reaches service. Things like turret hatches may well also be a thing of the past!
The kit has one feature that we know already: the gun and turret are positionable, with that large elevation and depression of the main gun being able to show off in this kit.

There is no more information on this kit at the moment. For all of their kits, check out Amusing Hobby's Facebook page, as their website does not seem to be working right now...