Hello Developers and Community,
If you want the developers to see these discrepancies and address them, please support the thread and share your thoughts below so this stays visible!
This post summarizes verifiable, fact-based discrepancies regarding the implementation of the German Leopard 2A8 (and its shared hull foundation with the Leopard 2A7V), strictly relying on primary documentation from the manufacturer (KNDS Deutschland), official procurement specifications from the German Bundeswehr, and Gaijin’s own official developer blogs.
The goal is to highlight objective contradictions in source handling, missing standard equipment, and modeling inconsistencies compared to the Norwegian Leopard 2A8NO.
- Selective Application of Primary Source (KNDS Official Datasheet)
Currently, there is a direct contradiction in how the official KNDS datasheet (KNDS_25_068_Datasheet_LEOPARD_2_A8_2_S_EN_03) is applied to the vehicle:
- Gun Depression (-7.4° vs -9°): The vertical guidance of the German Leopard 2A8 was reduced from the standard -9°/+20° to -7.4°/+17.4° based on the KNDS marketing brochure. However, according to the official Bundeswehr procurement portal (“Leopard 2 A8 – neuer Kampfpanzer für die Bundeswehr”, Nov 2025), the main armament mounting remains structurally identical to the Leopard 2A7V (“Das 120-Millimeter-Hauptgeschütz ist jedoch unverändert geblieben”). The -7.4° restriction applied only to early export demonstrator configurations with raised driver thermal housings, not the serial Bundeswehr hull.
- Ignored Protection Clauses from the Same Document: While the KNDS datasheet was accepted to reduce gun depression, the exact same official KNDS specification explicitly lists:
- “Upgraded Modular Protection for chassis and turret”
- “Upgraded Roof Protection”
- “360° protection against shoulder launched anti-tank missiles” (modular composite side armor packages rated against tandem RPG-7 warheads up to 600 mm RHA).
- Contradiction with Gaijin’s Own Dev Blog: In the official War Thunder Dev Blog (“Leopard 2A8: A Coveted Trophy”), it was explicitly stated that “side protection has been bolstered with extra composite armor modules.” Yet in the live game model, these side composite modules are completely absent from the German 2A8, leaving it with the exact same hull protection profile as the Leopard 2A7V.
- Missing Standard Secondary Armament (Confirmed by Bundeswehr)
- According to the official Bundeswehr technical specification for the serial Leopard 2A8 (unveiled on November 19, 2025, in Munich), the standard armament includes two 7.62 mm machine guns (“Bewaffnung: 120-mm-Bordkanone L55 A1 (Rheinmetall), 2 MG 7,62 mm”).
- In-game, the German Leopard 2A8 lacks its roof-mounted 7.62 mm MG3A1 on the loader’s hatch, whereas the Norwegian Leopard 2A8NO has its roof machine gun properly modeled.
- Modeling & Weight Inconsistencies Between German 2A8 and Norwegian 2A8NO
Comparing the German Leopard 2A8 and the Swedish-tree Leopard 2A8NO reveals clear modeling inconsistencies:
- Missing Full-Length Side Protection on the German 2A8: On the Norwegian 2A8NO, the hull sides are fitted with full-length side panels (incorporating structural steel and composite modules along the entire flank). On the German Leopard 2A8, the extra side armor modules explicitly promised in the Dev Blog and listed in the KNDS datasheet are completely absent from the damage model.
- Identical Weight Despite Missing Equipment: Both vehicles are listed at an identical combat mass of 67.7 tonnes in-game, even though the Norwegian 2A8NO carries full-length side protection panels, a roof-mounted MG, and Laser Warning System (LWS) sensors that are missing on the German model.
- Modification Tree Discrepancy (Built-in Stock vs. Tier IV Laser Rangefinder)
- On the Norwegian Leopard 2A8NO, there is no Laser Rangefinder modification in the research tree because it is built-in by default (stock) on the vehicle.
- On the German Leopard 2A8, despite using the exact same fire control system, the Laser Rangefinder is locked behind a Tier IV modification, forcing players to grind through almost the entire modification tree just to unlock basic rangefinding capabilities.
- Shared Legacy Hull Error (Leopard 2A7V & 2A8)
- Both the Leopard 2A7V and Leopard 2A8 utilize an outdated upper front plate (UFP) internal composite array that provides roughly 650 mm KE protection, whereas the late-1990s Swedish Strv 122 (which shares the MEXAS-H / EODH add-on armor lineage) provides ~750 mm KE in the exact same zone.
- Furthermore, the Leopard 2A8 is the first newly built Leopard 2 hull since 1992 (not a converted 1980s A4 hull), featuring a completely redesigned internal composite matrix and reinforced roof armor. Leaving it with the exact same internal armor values as a converted 2A7V contradicts both KNDS and Bundeswehr technical documentation.
Summary of Requested Adjustments (Based Strictly on Cited Sources):
- Consistent Source Policy: Either restore the -9° gun depression on the serial German Leopard 2A8 per Bundeswehr specifications, or implement the modular side composite armor and upgraded roof protection explicitly promised in the Dev Blog and the KNDS datasheet.
- Add Missing Secondary Armament: Model the second 7.62 mm MG on the German Leopard 2A8 roof per official Bundeswehr specs.
- Fix Modification Tree Discrepancy: Make the Laser Rangefinder built-in by default (stock) on the German Leopard 2A8 to match the Norwegian Leopard 2A8NO, removing the artificial Tier IV grind.
- Re-evaluate Hull & Roof Composite Protection: Account for the newly manufactured hull structure and roof armor upgrades of the 2A8 (and the shared MEXAS-H / D-Tech lineage on the 2A7V) rather than copy-pasting legacy 1990s prototype values.
Primary Sources Cited:
- Bundeswehr Official Procurement Portal: “Leopard 2 A8 – neuer Kampfpanzer für die Bundeswehr” (Published November 20, 2025) — Bundeswehr.de
- War Thunder Official Dev Blog: “Leopard 2A8: A Coveted Trophy” — WarThunder.com