The Leopard 2A6 main battle tank is a further development of the 2A5. It was greatly improved over its predecessor and currently it is one of the best main battle tanks in the world. The Leopard 2A6 outperforms the M1A2 Abrams,Challenger 2 and Leclerc in terms of protection, firepower and mobility. The Leopard 2A6 and its variants are currently in service with Germany, Canada, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

Armor protection was improved. The Leopard 2A6 is protected by composite armor of new generation and has external modular armor. Furthermore add-on armor, including explosive reactive armor blocks can be fitted. Interior of the tank is lined to prevent spalling.

The Leopard 2A6 tank is armed with the Rheinmetall 120-mm L55 smoothbore gun, which is longer version of the L44, used on the Leopard 2A5. It has better fire accuracy and longer range, comparing with the 2A5 tank. It is worth mentioning that the L55 gun can be fitted on any Leopard 2 MBT without any significant changes. This gun is loaded manually and is compatible with standard NATO ammunition. The longer barrel allows ammunition to attain higher velocities. A total of 42 rounds are carried and 15 of them are ready to use, while the rest are stored in front of the hull.

The Leopard 2A6 has a hunter-killer capability. Many other contemporary tanks lack this capability.

Secondary armament consists of two 7.62-mm machine guns. One of them is coaxially mounted with the main gun, while the other one is positioned on top of the roof.

Vehicle has a crew of four, including commander, gunner, loader and driver.

The Leopard 2A 6 retains the engine of its predecessor. This combat vehicle is powered by an MTU MB-837 Ka501 turbocharged diesel, developing 1 500 horsepower. Cross-country performance is similar to that of the 2A5. Vehicle is fitted with an auxiliary power unit, which powers all systems, when the main engine is turned off. The Leopard 2A6 can be fitted with a deep wading kit.