What makes the KF-51 Panther different from the rest?
Germany’s Rheinmetall has unveiled its first new battle tank since the 1970s, the KF-51 Panther, a successor to the Cold War-era Leopard and Leopard II, with a name reminiscent of the Nazi-era Panzerkampfwagen V Panther in service since 1943.
The vehicle’s appearance is widely speculated to be timed after the outbreak of war in Ukraine earlier in the year, which has led to a renewed emphasis on armored warfare in Europe. Rheinmetall has been rumored to have been working on a new tank since at least 2014-15, when the escalation of hostilities with Russia, followed by the unveiling of Russia’s next-generation T-14 Armata tank, was thought to have added urgency to such a program.
In this video we take a closer look at what makes the KF-51 Panther different from the rest.
