Trackpad Publishing has two new authors tackling subjects on the Challenger and Leopard AFVs.

The Challenger 2 Family in Germany by Sebastian Kreutzkamp.

This In the Field book looks at the Challenger 2 family that served in Germany until the withdrawal of British forces. It includes not only the CR2 main battle tank, but also the CRARRV recovery vehicle, Trojan engineer vehicle and the Titan bridgelayer. The book follows the CR2 on exercise, carrying out different types of maneouvres, in a troop hide in the woods, live firing, and being deployed by road and rail.

Availability: end of March 2018.

Belgian Bergepanzer 2 and 2000 by Patrick Winnepenninckx.

With the introduction of the Leopard 1BE as the new main battle tank for the Belgian Army in 1968, it was a logical decision that the Bergepanzer 2 would be bought as a replacement for the ageing Sherman-based ARV’s then in service.This was an enormous improvement for the recovery and maintenance teams in the Leopard 1 tank units.

After being in service for more than thirty years, eighteen Belgian Bergepanzer 2s were modernized in 2002 by the German company, FFG. Updates included new fuel cells, replacement of the main winch, and the addition of a second smaller 1.5 ton-winch at the front of the vehicle.

This Model Foto Focus takes a thorough look around these little-documented but fascinating machines. For the modeller, this is the ultimate walkaround for an accurate model. For the armour enthusiast, it describes the Belgian versions of the Bpz 2 and the Bpz 2000 in great detail.

Availability: end of April 2018.