Cockerill Offers Upgrade of Ukrainian Leopard 1 Tanks to C3105 Standard

The Belgian company Cockerill has proposed upgrading Ukraine’s entire fleet of Leopard 1 tanks by fitting them with the new Cockerill 3105 turret, which has already been successfully tested in Ukraine.

A Cockerill representative shared with Belgian armed forces observer Jeff2146 at the BEDEX 2026 military exhibition, held from March 12 to 14, that the first tank, delivered in May 2025, remains in Ukraine and is expected to be deployed to the front lines soon.

The company highlighted the main advantage of the upgrade as the ability to conduct indirect fire, a capability it claims is “unique among Western tanks.”

The modernization includes installing the Cockerill 3105 turret, equipped with advanced optical systems capable of detecting targets up to 18 km during the day and 15 km at night. The turret offers protection against 25 mm sub-caliber shells and features an automatic loader holding 12-16 rounds.

The layout positions the gunner and commander at the level of the tank hull rather than inside the turret itself.

The turret mounts a 105 mm high-pressure gun compatible with existing Leopard 1 ammunition and can also fire Ukraine’s Falarick anti-tank missile.

The Falarick missile was originally developed in 2010 for the Belgian 105 mm 105HP gun used in the CT-CV family of turrets. It employs laser beam guidance.