TFBX10: Leclerc Tank Platoon

In 1982 French announced that a purely French tank would be developed, called the Engin Principal de Combat (Main Combat Engine) after the purchase of foreign tanks, including the US M1 Abrams, the West German Leopard 2, and the Israeli Merkava, had been considered, but rejected. The final design was named Leclerc (French pronunciation le klear), after Philippe François Marie Leclerc de Hauteclocque, the Free-French 2nd Armoured Division general during World War II.

The Leclerc is armed with a French designed 120mm smooth-bore gun. Its barrel is 52 calibres long instead of the 44 calibres common on other NATO main battle tanks, giving the projectile a higher muzzle velocity. The gun can still fire standard 120mm NATO ammunition. The gun features an automatic loader, reducing the crew requirement to three; commander, gunner and driver. The autoloader allows the reloading of the gun while firing on the move. The Leclerc features an advanced digital fire control system, with a laser rangefinder and thermal imaging, combined with an advanced stabilisation system.

The Leclerc’s secondary armament consists of a 12.7mm (.50 cal) coaxial M2 heavy machine-gun and a roof-mounted 7.62mm machine-gun.

The design specifications had to guarantee a degree of invulnerability against 125mm sabot and 130mm shaped-charge (HEAT) warheads over its frontal arc, while the fighting compartment was to be protected against RPG-7 warheads, and have all-around protection against 30mm auto-cannons. The turret and the hull are made of welded steel plates with a thickness ranging from 30mm to 50mm on which removable composite armour modules are mounted. Twelve modules surround the turret (six per side). The turret bustle that contains the autoloader is protected on both sides against the 30mm armour-piercing rounds and shoulder-fired antitank weapons such as the RPG-7 as dictated by the design specifications. The composite storage boxes around the turret are also designed to act as spaced armour.

Side skirts, made of a composite panel covered by a steel outer shell, also protect the front third of the hull sides.

THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS:

• 5x Leclerc Tanks

These miniatures are supplied unassembled and unpainted