Meet the Leopard’s Swedish Cousin: The Stridsvagn 122
Sweden’s History of Tank Building
Not many people are aware of this, but Sweden has a history of building their own tanks for use by the Swedish Army. But when they wanted to replace the aging Stridsvagn 103 and Strv 101/102s, they decided to look outside for a suitable replacement.
Choosing the Leopard 2
After a three-way competition with the American Abrams, French Leclerc, and Leopard 2, the German Leopard managed to inch out the Abrams and was selected. But rather than have the new tanks built and delivered from Germany, the Swedes decided to produce them in-country to meet the needs of the Swedish Army.
Improvements and Upgrades
In a way, they kinda improved on it. The Stridsvagn 122 has increased armor on the turret top and front hull, as well as an improved command & control and fire control system. French-made GALIX smoke dispensers are also included, and the tank has much thicker crew hatches than what you would find on a “normal” Leopard.
The Future of the Stridsvagn 122
Currently, Sweden has 120 of these tanks in their army and numerous upgrades have kept them up to date with new advances in technology. At present, there are no plans to replace the Stridsvagn 122 any time soon. ~NC
