Super tank! European firms create 'most powerful' tank in the world

Cover Media

9 July 2024 at 10:33 am·1-min read

Two European firms have created a new tank that will be the most powerful available in the world.

KNDS - a partnership between Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and France's Nexter - have developed the Enhanced Main Battle Tank, Ascalon Demonstrator Turret 140, or EMBT ADT 140 for short.

The EMBT has a 140mm main gun-the largest on any current tank-as well as 20mm and 30mm automatic cannons.

The variety of guns is designed to reflect recent developments in tank warfare, made clear during the recent war in Ukraine, where drones have proved a potent weapon in stopping tanks in their tracks, and anti-tank missiles have also proved effective.

Derived from the Leopard 2 tank chassis, the EMBT ADT 140 retains the familiar seven-road-wheel configuration.

Its ASCALON Demonstrator Turret 140mm is unmanned, featuring an automatic loader for the main gun. The turret also includes a 30mm automatic cannon, remotely operated from within the tank, a coaxial 20mm automatic cannon, and a 7.62mm machine gun mounted in a mini turret on top.

KNDS has incorporated an active protection system in the tank to neutralise incoming anti-tank missiles and rockets. The company also say it will utilise, "sensor fusion, AI, cyber, and hybrid energy applications." The EMBT ADT 140 is part of the Main Combat Ground System (MCGS), a Franco-German initiative launched in 2017 to create a standardised tank for both armies.

The conflict in Ukraine has dramatically increased the demand for new tanks, as thousands of older models have been destroyed, often by inexpensive drone attacks. In response, engineers from France, Germany, and the U.S. are all developing next-generation tanks with multiple cannons to address these new threats - with the EMBT ADT 140 leading the pack.

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