The Greek Army (known as the "Hellenic Army") relied on the ELVO "Leonidas" Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) for a time and this machine was based on the Austrian Sauer-Werk 4K 4FA. It featured a crew of two and could haul eight combat-ready personnel while being powered by a 6-cylinder diesel engine. The Greek version carried an M2 Browning Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) and production was handled locally by ELVO beginning in 1981. By the middle part of the decade, an improved successor was being sought and additional work on the line begat the "Leonidas-2" mark which was saw design work begin in 1987.
The Leonidas-2 was a heavier vehicle at 18.8 tons (compared to 14.8 tons of the original) with a more powerful engine of 450 horsepower output (versus 320 horsepower). Road speeds increased by nearly 5 miles per hour and armor protection was of welded steel up to 32mm thick. Armament was a 12.7mm HMG typically paired with a 7.62mm Medium Machine Gun (MMG). The diesel engine was mated to a transmission system offering six forward and one reverse speed. The hull was seated atop a torsion bar suspension system for off road travel. Operational ranges reached 320 miles.
The Leonidas-2 was intended to have a turret housing a 25mm or 40mm autocannon - categorizing it as more of an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) than an APC - but issues with its design and manufacture resulted in the vehicle carrying solely machine gun armament.
The Leonidas-2 was built through 700 and 800 total examples (sources vary) and exported to Cyprus (197 examples) and Macedonia. ELVO attempted to upgrade the Leonidas-2 line to help the vehicle stay relevant on the modern battlefield but the proposed "Leonidas-3" initiative fell through - primarily because the basic design had seen its best days behind it.
The "Kentaurus" IFV (detailed elsewhere on this site), of wholly Greek design, was intended as a replacement but this program has met obstacles all its own and has not entered formal service with the Greek Army.
Power & Performance Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the ELVO Leonidas-2 Tracked Armored Personnel Carrier (APC).
1 x Steyr 6-cylinder liquid-cooled inline diesel-fueled engine developing 450 horsepower to a conventional track-and-wheel arrangement. Installed Power
43 mph 70 kph Road Speed
323 miles 520 km Range
Structure The physical qualities of the ELVO Leonidas-2 Tracked Armored Personnel Carrier (APC).
2 (MANNED) Crew
19.4 ft 5.9 meters O/A Length
8.2 ft 2.5 meters O/A Width
5.2 ft 1.6 meters O/A Height
33,069 lb 15,000 kg | 16.5 tons Weight
Armament & Ammunition Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the ELVO Leonidas-2 Tracked Armored Personnel Carrier (APC).
1 x 12.7mm Anti-Aircraft Heavy Machine Gun.
1 x 7.62mm MG3 General Purpose Machine Gun.
AMMUNITION: 1,500 x 12.7mm ammunition.
3,500 x 7.62mm ammunition.
Variants Notable series variants as part of the ELVO Leonidas-2 family line.
Leonidas-2 - Base Series Designation
Operators Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the ELVO Leonidas-2. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.
Total Production: 700 Units Contractor(s): ELBO / ELVO - Greece
[ Cyprus; Greece; Macedonia ]
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Going Further... The ELVO Leonidas-2 Tracked Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) appears in the following collections:
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