The Leopard C2 main battle tanks are likely to remain in active service until 2015

The Leopard C2 MBT is a Canadian upgrade of the German Leopard 1. Canada purchased 127 Leopard 1A3 MBTs in the late 1970s. These were locally designated as the Leopard C1. In 2000 a total of 114 C1 tanks were upgraded to the C2 standard to extend their service lives. There were plans to replace these tanks with Stryker Mobile Gun Systems, however these plans were not executed. It was planned that the C2s will remain in active service until at least 2015. Currently these Canadian tanks are nearly 40 years old and it becomes increasingly harder to maintain them.