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Main battle tank

Germany In development

Rheinmetall

Panther KF51

Next-generation main battle tank unveiled in 2022, mounting a 130mm Rh-130 smoothbore gun with greater effective range than 120mm guns, at a reduced 59-tonne combat weight.

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-04

km/h

500

km range

130

mm gun

59,000

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

German export-licensed

BAFA licensing with strict end-use review; approvals can be politically constrained.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Development status

Operator data not public

Status: announced.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

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.

Compatible munitions & weapons

Publicly reported weapons the Panther KF51 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.

130 mm APFSDS

130 mm programmable HE 130 mm HEAT-MP

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Performance specifications
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.	70 km/h Stronger than 75% 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.	500 km Stronger than 61% of main battle tanks

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.	Rh-130 L/52 130mm smoothbore gun
Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods.	12.7 mm coaxial machine gun (250 rounds), 7.62 mm 'Natter' RCWS (2,500 rounds)
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters.	130 mm

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Protection specifications
Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.	Composite and reactive armour
Active protection Hard-kill APS (Trophy, Arena, Afganit) intercepts incoming projectiles before impact.	StrikeShield (AMAP-ADS)
Reactive armor Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets.	Yes

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	7.8 m
Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles.	3.7 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.	2.5 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.	59,000 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.	3

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Propulsion specifications
Engine Powerplant model and type.	MTU MB 873 Ka-501 V-12 water-cooled diesel
Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.	1,500 hp Stronger than 82% of main battle tanks
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…	diesel

Munition

Round type, penetration, velocity and projectile data.

Munition specifications
Caliber Bore diameter the round is fired from.	130 mm

Specifications compiled from public Rheinmetall and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-04.

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