Chile Spots Leopard 2A4 Tank Upgraded by Turkish Aselsan for the First Time

The Chilean Ground Forces have unveiled for the first time the Leopard 2A4 main battle tank (MBT), which was upgraded with the participation of the Turkish company Aselsan.

The publication was dedicated to the official visit of the Chief of Staff of the Spanish Ground Forces, General Amador Ensenata y Berea, to the location of the 2nd Armored Brigade "Hunters" of the Chilean Army, stationed in Pozo Almonte. As noted, the Spanish general visited several units, getting acquainted with how the service is organized in them. In one of the photos, Ensenyat y Berea is captured in the brigade's tank park, where he was shown Leopard 2A4 tanks, some of which were equipped with the new ATS-65D optical-electronic stations from Aselsan.

The system is designed to equip not only armored vehicles, but also surface vessels, as well as remotely controlled modules with weapons. It includes high-resolution cameras with optical-electronic and infrared (OI/IR) channels, providing the ability to observe the surrounding environment under various external conditions, and a laser rangefinder - to determine the distance to the target.

In July 2023, the Turkish company and the FAMAE (Fabricas y Maestranzas del Ejercito) arms factory signed an agreement to modernize the entire fleet of Chilean Leopards, as well as Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles and M109 self-propelled howitzers of the national ground forces, as part of the Proaco program. The latter is aimed at extending the service life of Chilean armored vehicles, replacing obsolete components and solving maintenance issues.

The list of works included equipping the Leopards with new communications equipment, the Volkan fire control system to improve firing accuracy and the probability of hitting a target with the first shot. In addition, the MBTs are to receive an EGTDS main gun stabilization system, a Kartalgozu 100 sighting system for the gunner, and forward and rear-view IR/IR cameras for the driver.

According to Infodefensa.com, the Leopard 2A4 MBTs are in service with three Chilean armored brigades stationed in the north of the country.