Documents
France KNDS
Leclerc XLR
The modernized standard of France's Leclerc main battle tank, adding a new digital architecture, remote weapon station and improved protection against IEDs and mines. It keeps the Leclerc's distinctive autoloaded 120 mm gun and compact crew of three.
In service since 2023 · 2 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01
72
km/h
550
km range
27
hp/t
120
mm gun
56,800
kg
💲 ≈ $9,000,000 — Approximate XLR upgrade cost per unit
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
French export-licensed
CIEEMG inter-ministerial approval; broadly export-oriented.
Channel: DGA / direct commercial
Fielded & proven
Limited · 2 operators
In service since 2023. Status: active · ~200 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$23M – $32M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 72 km/h Stronger than 88% of main battle tanks
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 550 km Stronger than 79% of main battle tanks
- Power-to-weight
Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility.
- 27 hp/t Top 7% of main battle tanks
- Muzzle velocity
Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.
- 1,750 m/s Stronger than 87% of main battle tanks
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 120 mm CN120-26/52 smoothbore (autoloaded)
- Secondary armament
Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods.
- 12.7 mm + 7.62 mm machine guns
- Caliber
Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.
- 120 mm
- Ammunition
Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.
- 40 Stronger than 42% of main battle tanks
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Armor
Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.
- Modular composite armor
- Active protection
Hard-kill APS (Trophy, Arena, Afganit) intercepts incoming projectiles before impact.
- in evaluation
- Reactive armor
Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets.
- No
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- smoke grenade launchers, GALIX defense system
- NBC protection
Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments.
- Yes
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 9.87 m
- Width
Overall width — matters for rail/road transport of vehicles.
- 3.71 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 2.53 m
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 56,800 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 3
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- Wartsila-SACM V8X-1500 hyperbar diesel
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 1,500 hp Stronger than 85% of main battle tanks
- Fuel capacity
Internal fuel volume.
- 1,300 L
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Diesel
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- autoloader fire control, panoramic commander sight
- Thermal imaging
Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations.
- Yes
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $9,000,000 Stronger than 40% of main battle tanks
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 200 Stronger than 26% of main battle tanks
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 2 Stronger than 57% of main battle tanks
Specifications compiled from public KNDS and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Hyundai Rotem K2 Black Panther 
KNDS Leopard 2A7 
General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the KNDS Leclerc XLR? +
The KNDS Leclerc XLR has a maximum speed of 72 km/h.
What is the range of the KNDS Leclerc XLR? +
The KNDS Leclerc XLR has a maximum range of 550 km.
How much does the KNDS Leclerc XLR weigh? +
The KNDS Leclerc XLR has a combat weight of 56,800 kg.
How many crew does the KNDS Leclerc XLR require? +
The KNDS Leclerc XLR requires a crew of 3.
What is the main armament of the KNDS Leclerc XLR? +
The KNDS Leclerc XLR's primary weapon is the 120 mm CN120-26/52 smoothbore (autoloaded).
What engine does the KNDS Leclerc XLR use? +
The KNDS Leclerc XLR is powered by the Wartsila-SACM V8X-1500 hyperbar diesel.
What is the KNDS Leclerc XLR used for? +
The KNDS Leclerc XLR is a main battle tank typically used for anti armor, infantry combat.
How many countries operate the KNDS Leclerc XLR? +
The KNDS Leclerc XLR is operated by 2 countries.
How much does the KNDS Leclerc XLR cost? +
The KNDS Leclerc XLR has an approximate unit cost of 9,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
Similar systems
Hyundai Rotem
K2 Black Panther
KNDS
Leopard 2A7
General Dynamics Land Systems
M1A2 SEP v3 Abrams
Uralvagonzavod