ELVO Leonidas-2

Tracked Armored Personnel Carrier (APC)

Greece | 1981

"The ELVO Leonidas-2 emerged as an improved Greek form of the original Leonidas APC, itself based on an Austrian design."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 02/24/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

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.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

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.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Nightvision - YES.
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Protection (CBRN) - YES.

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 ]

1 / 1

Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Design Qualities
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to battlefield requirements.

TRACK-AND-WHEEL DRIVE

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Going Further...
The ELVO Leonidas-2 Tracked Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) appears in the following collections:

HOME

ARMOR INDEX

ARMOR BY COUNTRY

VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2025 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks U.S. DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols US 5-Star Generals WW2 Weapons by Country

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes Global Firepower, WDMMA.org, WDMMW.org, and World War Next.

©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)