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].