Stealth Leopard Tank

[Nick]

In the late 1980s it was realised that tanks could be tracked using radar and infrared, just like aircraft. The Bundeswehr had a Leopard 1 modified with a new shell and exhaust to combat this threat.
It didn't enter service and is now in the German Tank Museum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r0Ssd2jR2U

[Gondor]

Interesting. I wonder if they had intended to have the gun elevating or not as it dosen't look as if it could.

Gondor

[Hobbes]

Perhaps they intended to develop the elevation mechanism after the basic concept had been proven?

[Nick]

Perhaps they intended to develop the elevation mechanism after the basic concept had been proven?

Another issue is that guns get very hot when fired and would show up on thermal cameras. I've heard of projects to reduce this effect using water cooling, air cooling and/or shrouds. It is likely that the two would have come together had the Cold War continued.

Another effect that struck is that this outer plate would work well against Armor-piercing rounds. These would expend most of their impact on the shell and reduce damage to the main hull - like the plates seen on the sides of Panzer IVs in WW2.