Source: Weltpremiere des mittleren Kampfpanzers KF51 Panther (esut.de)

Found no real detailed article about the new tank until now exept this one and thought I share it here and translate it with google for all.

At the Eurosatory 2022 armaments trade fair in Paris, Rheinmetall presented the Panther KF51 medium battle tank to the public for the first time in a world premiere. Rheinmetall is thus expanding its family of tracked vehicles (KF), which started in 2016 with the Lynx KF 31 and KF41 infantry fighting vehicles and achieved initial export success with the Lynx KF41.

According to Rheinmetall, the Panther KF51 has been completely new design. The distinctive feature is the Future Gun System (FGS) with a 130 mm/L52 smoothbore cannon and a fully automatic ammunition handling system (autoloader) in a newly designed modern turret.

According to Rheinmetall apfsds rounds and programmable explosive ammunition (with air blast point) as well as training ammunition are available for the FGS. 20 shots are carried in the loader, and another ten in the tank. According to Rheinmetall, this results in "superior firepower against all current and foreseeable mechanized targets". Compared to today's 120mm systems, the FGS delivers a 50 percent higher effect with a significant increase in range at the same time.

Main features of the Panther KF51:

– 130mm smoothbore gun

– coaxial machine gun, weapon station, launcher for missiles

– Container for UAV

– Crew: commander, gunner, driver, optional systems specialist/command staff

– digital, cyber-hardened NGVA

– active, reactive and passive protection

- Day and night vision observation and aiming devices

– Near-field all-round observation under hatch (Look through armour)

– Operating weight under 59 tons

– Diesel engine with 1,100 kW, 5,000 Nm

Armament includes a 12.7mm coaxial machine gun and optional remote-controlled weapon stations, as well as launchers for loitering ammunition, rockets and unmanned aerial vehicles. This leads to high flexibility in close-range defense and counter-drones, writes Rheinmetall. The main battle tank on display in Paris is equipped with a Natter light weapon station armed with a 7.62mm machine gun.

The heart of the fully digitized tank is a bus system based on the NATO Generic Vehicle Architecture (NGVA) standard for the seamless integration of sensors and effectors both within the platform and in combination with other systems. This means that all crew members have access to data from the components used, such as sensors, communication, weapons, engines and the fire control system for a pronounced situational awareness and the command of the crew and the main battle tank in combat, especially in firefighting. This architecture enables both a hunter-killer and a killer-killer function and thus immediate target engagement - in the future also supported by artificial intelligence (AI), writes Rheinmetall.

The Panther KF51 is designed for a crew of three. Commander and gunner find their place in the usual place one behind the other on the right side of the turret. The driver sits in the middle of the tub. Behind him to his left is space for an optional fourth operator, such as a subsystem specialist or managerial staff. Each operator station can take over tasks and roles from others, with full functionality being retained. Since the turret and weapons can also be controlled from the operator positions in the chassis, according to Rheinmetall, variants of the KF51 Panther with unmanned turrets or completely remote-controlled vehicles are also planned in the future.

For reconnaissance and fire control, the crew has the all-round view optics SEOSS or the main combat sight EMES with day and night channel for independent observation and action with stabilized digital TV and IR optics with integrated laser range finder.

Displays allow the crew to observe the entire area around the tank at all times without having to open hatches (look through armour). Integrated airborne reconnaissance systems can be used for enhanced situational awareness in local and immediate areas.

Active, reactive and passive protection technologies are used in the fully integrated, weight-optimized protection concept. Rheinmetall did not provide any information about the protective elements at the front of the armored steel hull. Active protection with StrikeShield elements to protect against KE threats and anti-tank weapons increases the level of protection without affecting system weight. A Top Attack Protection System (TAPS) fends off threats from above. The ROSY rapid smoke protection system protects against enemy sight. The open, digital and cyber-threat-hardened NGVA architecture enables the integration of sensors to detect launch signatures.

In the newly designed hull you will meet old friends: a drive train with a 1,100 kW diesel engine, the hydromechanical shift, reversing and steering gear HSWL-354 and the running gear with rollers, suspension and chains were taken over from the Leopard 2. With a combat weight of 59 tons - with a higher system performance than today's top tanks - and a reduced silhouette, the Panther KF51 offers a significant plus in tactical and strategic mobility.

With the new approach in construction and system design, a modern main battle tank has emerged which, thanks to digitization and modularization, should offer high growth potential and, according to the manufacturer, is open to updates with threat-oriented capabilities and functions. Rheinmetall sees the Panther KF51 as the first representative of a new family of combat vehicles and expects further innovations for more environmentally friendly use in peacetime and for further optimization of automation and effectiveness.

The Panther KF51 includes a number of features to be implemented with the future Main Ground Combat System (MGCS). These include, above all, the performance-enhanced Future Gun System with the 130 mm smoothbore cannon, the equipment with secondary weapons, the possibility of using and controlling unmanned systems and digitization based on the NGVA. It reflects the performance level of modern system components, geared to current and future threats.