Germany has developed a hybrid of a fire support tank and an anti-aircraft gun

The German company Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) plans to present a new tank concept at the DSEI defense exhibition in London, hartpunkt.de reports.

The new product is called Condor, it combines the capabilities of a fire support tank and an anti-aircraft gun in a single system based on a modernized Leopard 1 chassis . Condor is equipped with a 1080-horsepower 8V199TE23 engine from Rolls-Royce with an updated automatic transmission, and has a new cooling system and braking system.

According to the publication, the new product is designed to respond to threats that can change quickly. To do this, it combines modern weapons technologies with combat-tested components.

The vehicle is equipped with the newly developed Turra 30 – SA unmanned turret, manufactured by Slovakian EVPÚ. It is equipped with a 30 mm automatic cannon that fires programmable airburst ammunition.

The turret can be armed with a variety of guns, including the Bushmaster Mk44, a machine gun, and Spike or Konkurs anti-tank guided missiles. The turret is equipped with advanced electro-optics, a multi-purpose radar, and sensors designed to detect small arms and sniper fire. The weapon can be elevated from minus 10 to plus 70 degrees, allowing it to engage a wide range of targets , both ground and air.

"Thanks to Condor, we were able to develop a powerful and effective air defense system based on the field-proven and readily available Leopard 1 platform. Our goal was to create a readily available system for the necessary rapid expansion of air defense capabilities. The use of the EVPU turret complex also allows for the use of additional assets, allowing Condor to provide fire support to infantry troops," explained FFG Managing Director Jörg Kamper.

FFG also said the machine is equipped with a new digital network, improved seating arrangements and improved armor. The new machine weighs less than 40 tons.

It was previously reported that the Czech Ministry of Defense has approved the purchase of the latest Leopard 2A8 battle tanks. It is planned to purchase at least 61 and at most 77 tanks in six variants.