March 3, 2008: Denmark sent some of its
Leopard 2 tanks to Afghanistan, where the heat can easily overwhelm the air
conditioning system (built for milder European Summers, and not much cooling
capacity at all). A clever solution was developed with the use of heavy duty fabric
fitted covers for the chassis and turret [PHOTO]. These were done up in a desert
camouflage color, so save on a new paint job as well. The covers make a big
difference in keeping the inside of the tank cooler. The crews also use cooling vests (where cool
water is piped through thin plastic tubes built into a vest). But the
temperature inside the crew compartment had to be brought down, otherwise the
electronic gear would act unreliably, and eventually fail. The camouflage
covers were developed in Sweden, and are called the Barracuda system. They also
reduce the infrared (heat) signature of the vehicle, making it more difficult
to detect using thermal imagers. That's not a problem in Afghanistan [VIDEO].
