Danke Skybird, sounds pretty legit and from thew few things I know, I also can't imagine the Leclerc being the better tank in the criteria I mentioned.
I think 12 nations use the Leopard 1+2 family world wide, that says a lot I think. The Leopard 2 is also quite cheap compared to other tanks, despite its high quality.
You mentioned that godlike magnification of the M1A2... when I tried the thing in SBP the first time, I was baffled. At least in the sim it makes long range engagements indeed much easier. Still prefer the Leo2 of course... I don't need to look my target in the eye to kill it from 4 klicks away.
Thanks again!