Introduction

The German designed and built Leopard tank has been the main battle tank for Canada since 1978, starting with the Leopard 1. While the Leopard 1 has gone through multiple changes, starting in 2000 Canada began a project to upgrade the Leopard using surplus Leopard 1A5 turrets purchase from Germany. In mid-2006, in response to world terrorism Canada deployed a squadron of Leopard C2 fitted with MEXAS armor to Afghanistan to act as convoy protection. Shortly after arriving in theatre, for the first time since the Korean War, a Canadian tank fired a shell in an active combat zone.

Anthony Sewards has made available a DVD set that documents not only the Canadian Leopard C2 MEXAS, but the use of the tank in Afghanistan.

Contents

The set includes two DVD’s, one with images the other containing videos.

Review

For Canadian armor fans, and armor fans in general, this set is a great reference asset. The first DVD contains well over 2000 images of the Leopard C2 MEXAS, many of them serving in Afghanistan. The images are separated into directories by year and month of service in theatre, as well as directories including detail images of the Leopard C2, including maintenance images, so you can see what is under the armor.

The images are a great mix of the Leopard C2, both at base and in the field. I was amazed at the amount of dust that would collect on the tanks in use, and how well they stood up to the environment. Also included are images of the Leopard C2 deploying mine clearing plows and dozer blades. There is also some insight to the crews, as the images include the crews in there day to day activities around the tanks.

Included on the image DVD is Word formatted documents that provide a detailed history of the Leopard C2 MEXAS as well as description of some of the equipment used on the tank. There is also a document with reference to Canadian soldier’s uniforms and equipment.

The second DVD contains videos of the Canadian tank in use in Afghanistan. The videos contain footage of the tanks rolling through the very dusty environment and firing the main gun. They provide the viewer with a real insight into the environment that the C2 operated in.

At a price of $25 Canadian, the reference set is definitely worth the price. And as stated by Anthony Sewards, $20 of the price is donated to a local veteran’s charity. So not only do you get a great looking reference, you are assisting veterans who have served and fought for justice in the world.

Conclusion

This is a definite collection of images and video for any armor fan. The Canadian Leopard C2 MEXAS Project set is a must for any Canadian armor fan as well as general armor fans. The set does an excellent job of detailing the service of the Leopard C2 in theatre, as well as provide an insight to the crews and environment. This set is definitely recommended, and it also helps out a great cause with a large portion of the price.

As a side note, from Anthony Sewards, there are also other projects in the works to cover all modern Canadian combat vehicles. I, for one, am definitely looking forward to this.

The Canadian Leopard C2 MEXAS Project can be ordered by sending an email to Anthony Sewards