M101 Rizal

M101A1 "Rizal" was an main battle tank of the German-Philippine joint project to develop a new main battle tank (MBT) during the 1990s to counter Kakampink and Soviet-made Islamic tanks.

Bundeswehr and Philippine Army wants to develop a new MBT with a powerful gun, armor thickness, overpowered engines and improved optics. It was intended to counter newest futuristic tanks developed by the Kakampink Army for the ISIS terrorists.

By the late 1980s, the development of the Kpz 101 "Panther 3" (or KpfPz 101), it was armed with Rheinmetall Rh-120 smoothbore tank gun from Leopard 2. But the Rh-120 mounted on KpfPz 101 has been cancelled due to "weak penetration" by the Federal Minister of Defence (Germany).

In 1990. Philippine Army desinged a sloped turret with a powerful 175mm "most penetratable" rifled gun for the M101/Kpz 101. It is called Rheinmetall L/77 (or Rh-77 sometimes), is a penetratable tank to counter some high calibers (120mm) desinged by Soviet design bureau (OKB).

The hull was made by Bukang Liwayway Heavy Industries (Philippines) and MTU (Germany) with an American diesel engines with a turbines.

In pre-1992 (Fall of the Soviet Union), Armed Forces of the Philippines started to kick-off with Federal Minister of Defense to produce a 'M101' and it was named "Rizal" due to it's Jose Rizal's last name.

The M101/Kpz 101 production was started in September 1992 until December 2049 by the government (planned).

Wars/Battles

Kakampink, Islamic-Philippine War (1979-2004)
Battle of Luzon and Visayas (1993-94)
Mindanao rebel conflict (2013-14)
Operation "Arschkruzer" by Bundeswehr in Naga City (2000-03)
Operation "Sigma" by the Philippine Army and PNP in Tacloban (1996)

Operators - Current:

Germany (KpfPz 101A1), approx. 1221 were produced and design was licensed by BLHI (2014).
Philippines (M101A1), approx. 2102 were produced (2013).
Poland (KpfPz 101A1), 191
Sweden (Strv 101A1 modified), 56

Future Operators:

Czech Republic (KpfPz 101A1), 78 were ordered in 2029

Cancelled:

United States (M101A1 turret mounted on M1 Abrams as a self-propelled gun) 12 were cancelled and 3 turret delivered in 2006

The M101A2 will be come soon.

M101A2 countering their enemy manufacturers