Why Canada Kept Leopard 1 in Afghanistan

Why did Canada keep the Leopard 1 in Afghanistan after the Leopard 2 arrived? The borrowed Leopard 2A6M offered better crew protection, but Canada’s existing mine plows, dozer blades, and mine rollers didn’t fit. The older Leopard C2 could still carry them. This Armored Forces documentary follows Canada’s tank deployment from the C2 airlift to the German Leopard 2A6M loan and the separate Dutch Leopard 2 purchase. It explains how each tool helped open a route and what Canada’s Auditor General found about the transition. 00:00 Why Both Leopards Stayed 00:19 The Leopard C2 Arrives 01:34 Germany’s Loan and the Dutch Purchase 02:48 Plows, Blades, and Rollers 04:27 What the Canadian Audit Found 06:06 Getting the New Tanks Into Service 07:16 Why the Handover Took Time Sources include the Auditor General of Canada’s Fall 2009 report, Canadian Army Journal, and Australian Army Journal. Manas airlift photograph by Master Sgt. Mitch Gettle, U.S. Air Force. VIRIN 061007-F-6882G-327.