What Leopard 2 Tanks Could Bring to Ukraine’s Army
Why the Leopard 2 tank is so important to Ukraine Friday, Ramstein Airbase multiple countries Berlin asked permission to donate German-built buildings. Leopard 2 main battle tanks Ukraine in a package of arms transfers “hundreds” Different types of armored vehicle
Berlin sold many of the 3,600 Leopard 2s it had built after the Cold War ended. Today, 21 countries operate the Leopard 2s. The 55 to 65-ton Leopard 2s boast significant armor, firepower and spotting advantages against most of Russia’s 40-50 ton tanks. President Duda, Poland, who owns 240 Leopard 2 tanks has declared plans to transfer a Leopard 2 company Ukraine: 10-15 tanks Finland The company also indicated that it may donate some of its 200 Leopard 2s. 100 of these are still in storage.
But after the meeting, newly appointed German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius continued to demure, claiming Berlin’s blessing would come only if the move is agreed to by “all allies.” Sources claim that Germany could only authorise Leopard 2 transfers if it receives some U.S. donations. M1 Abrams main battle tanks. While there are many Abrams in storage which are broadly comparable to the Leopard 2, they’re less fuel-efficient and require jet rather than diesel fuel, unlike most Ukrainian tanks.
Why Germany is Nervous About Sending the Leopard 2 to Ukraine
Evidently, the legacy of Hitler’s genocidal invasion of the Soviet Union in World War II still leaves Berlin in knots, recalling an era in which its ‘Big Cats’—heavily armored Tiger and Panther tanks—prowled across Eastern Europe, developing so fearsome and exaggerated a reputation that 70 years later the former type starred as the supernatural villain of Russian war film White Tiger.
But now Kyiv wants Germany’s big cats to return; this time to Protect Ukraine, not aid to its conquest. But German Chancellor Scholz has insisted there’s a red-line on transferring Western-built tanks, mesmerized by fears of Russian counter-escalation and the prior history of German tanks as weapons of aggression—never mind that defending armies too need tanks Retake invaded territory
Scholz’s hesitation may eventually crumble as he comes under increasing pressure from the U.S., France, United Kingdom and Poland, and as Moscow continues to double down on its war in Ukraine. Robert Habeck, German Vice-Chancellor has already stated that he supports third-party Leopard transfers for Ukraine.
The United Kingdom has already stated that it will provide a company of its own. domestic Challenger 2 main battle tanks. Warsaw has also implied it might move ahead with a transfer without Berlin’s agreement.
But Berlin’s blessing could open the floodgates for transfers numerous other Leopard 2 operators, notably including Canada (60x 2A4s and 20x 2A6Ms), Greece (183x 2A4s and 170x 2A6HELs), Norway (52x 2A4s), Spain (108x 2A4s stored in poor condition, 219x upgraded 2A6s) and Sweden (120x Strv-122s based on the 2A6). Germany could also keep 200 2A4s from the past in storage according to IISS.
Overall, it appears that Leopard 2s will be fighting in Ukraine. They will finally face the mechanized high-intensity warfare they were built for during the close phase of the Cold War. This article looks at the capabilities Leopard 2 tanks could bring to Ukraine should it enter service, as well as the type’s combat record.
Cold Warrior Tank
After the Leopard 1, a light armored, agile Leopard 1 was killed in West German service in 1979. The Leopard 2 and its close-contemporary Abrams showed confidence in new composite materials technology that could make heavy armor resistant to deadly anti-tank rockets. It was possible in a World War III scenario. Their qualitative superiority could offset the Soviet Union’s huge quantitative advantage.
The Leopard 2 differed by using a more fuel-efficient diesel engine rather than the Abrams’s noisier, faster-accelerating gas turbine, and initially had a bigger main gun. Over time, the Abrams adopted the Leopard 2’s gun and increasingly incorporated ultra-dense depleted uranium to enhance armor and shell penetration, while German engineers pursued alternate engineering solutions.
Leopard 2 tanks aren’t all created equal. The Leopard 2A4, which is the ultimate Cold War tank, features a conventional-looking vertical turret armor plate.
However, the post-Cold War Leopard 2A5, 2A6 or 2A7 models look quite different because of futuristic-looking wedged-front turret armour. These models offer much better protection and sensors and, with the 2A6 or 2A7 series, longer and more powerful 55 caliber guns.
The older 2A4 model is most likely to make its way to Ukraine, though one can’t rule out the later models entirely. The advantage possessed by the 1980s-era 2A4 is inevitably narrower facing Russia’s newest T-90s or modernized T-72B3s, T-80Us and T-80BVMs; though documented equipment losses reveal Russia’s military and its proxies still use many older T-72Bs, T-64s?, T-62Ms.
Many countries also possess functional Leopard 2 spinoffs, including the Bergepanzer BPz3 Buffalo armored recovery vehicle, the Panzerschnellbrücke 2 bridge-layer and AEV3 Kodiak engineering vehicle. 31 other Leopard 1-based versions of these vehicles have been delivered to Ukraine. Finland’s Marksman anti-aircraft vehicle combines a Leopard 2 with a twin 35-millimeter cannon turret.
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Mobility and Armor
Like the Abrams and Challenger 2, the Leopard 2’s armor uses a ‘secret sauce’ A composite material combining steel, rubber, ceramic and plastic to protect against high velocity kinetic energy shells. It also works well against shaped-charge HEAT munitions used in missiles or rockets. Protection is concentrated in the Turret. This is equivalent to 590-690 mm of Rolled Homogenosu Armor against kinetic sabots and 810-1290 mm RHA against HEAT munitions.
An additional 1.5-meter wedge of sloped, separated armor is added to the 2A5 model. It increases turret protection by 850-930mm RHA against nuclear shells and 980-1730mm against heat munitions. That renders parts of its front turret resilient even against Russia’s powerful Kornet and Khrizantema anti-tank missiles and Svinets and Lekalo 125-millimeter tank shells.
The front hulls of both models are 600-620 millimeters against kinetic threats, and 620-750 versus HEAT. And like all modern main battle tanks, the Leopard’s side and rear armor are significantly more vulnerable, though still protected against light anti-armor weapons. For urban operations, where there may be attacks from all directions, add-on modular armor has been created.
The Leopard 2’s crew and ammunition stowage reduces the risk of armor being pierced. They also have spall liners to absorb shrapnel, automatic fire-suppression systems that emit halon and halon and panels that blow to the outside to vent the dangerous pressure of an interior explosion.
Leopard 2A4. Image credit: Creative Commons.
For mobility, the Leopard 2 uses a powerful 1,500-horsepower MB 873 liquid-cooled diesel engine that allows the 60ish-ton behemoth to achieve top speeds of roughly 42 miles per hour (officially)—or closer to 60 when pulling out all the stops. The Leopard 2 can reverse at a speed of 19 mph when it runs into trouble, compared to 3 to 6 mph for Soviet tanks. A snorkel can be added to the vehicle to help you navigate through water obstacles of up to 4 m depth.
Firepower, fire control and sensors
The Leopard 2A4 has the same powerful Rheinmetall 120 millimeter smoothbore cannon that modern Abrams tanks. Later models of the 2A6 and 2A6 use a longer velocity variant (55 instead 44 calibers).
But ammunition has a greater effect on penetration. The later DM53 and DM63 kinetic sabot shells can penetrate 650 or 750 millimeters of armor at 1.24 miles—possibly adequate to defeat frontal armor on more modern Russian tanks girded with Kontakt-5 or Relikt explosive reactive armor. It’s not so likely with the older DM33 or DM43 shells which penetrates 470 and 560-600 millimeters RHA respectively at that range, though older Russian tanks lacking heavy ERA remain comprehensively vulnerable.
NATO standardization means that Leopard 2s can also use U.S. and French 120-millimeter tankshells. However, it is not clear if either of these would be able to transfer powerful depleted uranium weapons with an extraordinary 800mm penetration. The U.S.’s M829A3 depleted-uranium sabots and brand new German DM73 round are specifically designed to ‘bypass’ Relikt-type ERA.
The Rh-120 can also fire multi-purpose DM-12 HEAT rounds, which are effective against both soft- and armored targets (penetrating 480mm ROH). DM11 anti-personnel shells It can be programmed to explode or airburst after penetration of a structure. Leopard 2s adds a coaxial 7.62-millimeter machine guns to complement the main gun. In the latest models, the latter has been upgraded to a more sophisticated remote weapon station.
The ability to identify and hit the enemy first has historically won more tank battles over having a harder hitting gun. To that end, a Leopard 2’s gunner benefits from a 4x and 12x magnification EMES-15 stabilized thermal day/night sight, assisted by a 6-mile-range laser rangefinder. A PERI PERI 17A3 stabilized panoramic view with 8x magnification is used by the commander.
The EMES-15 looks similar to the French-built Catherine-FC optical sight on the Sosna-U modernized Russian tank (T-72B3, T-80BVM, T-90A. Older Russian tanks have less stealthy passive thermal sight and lower magnification sights. Having lost access to Catherine-FC due to sanctions, Russia’s capacity to domestically produce enough PNM-T sights The exact substitute is unknown. Soviet/Russian tanks use slower guns-launched anti tank missiles for long distance shots. The Leopard can engage targets from as far away as 3 miles.
Poland’s Special Leopard 2s
Poland has a mix force consisting of 105 Leopard 2A5s and 90 Leopard 2A4s. There are also 45 upgraded Leopard 2PLs and 2PLM1s that were based on 2A4. These include front turret armor that is stronger than the 2A5, 90 Leopard 2A4s, and 45 uniquely upgraded Leopard 2PLs and 2PLM1 models based on the 2A4. The modified PLM1 variant includes active cooling for electronics, a flexible periscope and improved laser rangefinders.
NATO Leopard Tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Poland already gave this gift. modernized T-72M1R and PT-91 tanks to Ukraine, it’s not impossible the 2A5 and 2PL models could get donated, not just the unmodernized 2A4s.
Combat Record
After several tense, but largely non-kinetic peacekeeping missions in the Balkans region, Leopard 2s were first used in combat in Afghanistan in 2007. Canada deployed 2A6 and 2A5 Leopards. As detailed by Jill Münstermann in Leopard Tanks in ActionThe type was able to deliver precise fire on Taliban forces with less collateral damage than air and artillery strikes. It was also quite resilient to rocket propelled and mine hits. However, a Danish 2A5 was destroyed by an IED that killed a crew member.
2016 was a different year. The Turkish Army deployed Leopard 2A4s in support of its troops. intervention in the Syrian Civil WarParticularly the Battle of al-Bab. They are dispersed in small units and placed on hilltops to monitor the battlefield. suffered shocking lossesFive people were killed by anti-tank guided rockets, two by kamikaze trucks, one by shelling and one by anti-tank missiles. Two more were captured by ISIS militants.
This unfortunate episode demonstrated the risks of assigning tanks a fixed role on a fluid battlefield where infiltrating enemies had plenty of opportunity to find long distance firing angles on vulnerable side armour. Turkish 2A4s saw action in an offensive targeting the Kurdish-held city of Afrin 2018: Several may have survived accurate antitank missile attacks.
Leopard 2 in the context of Ukraine
Ukraine’s military primarily operates variants of the T-64, T-72 T-80 and T-60 tank families. This would make it difficult to add Leopard 2s into the mix. They would require an extra crew member (a loader, instead of a mechanical autoloader), use different NATO-120-millimeter shells, consume fuel quicker, and are too heavy to cross many Ukrainian bridges. The most important thing is that Leopards use diesel fuel just like many Ukrainian tanks.
According to IISS, basic training for Leopard 2 crews requires 3-6 weeks depending on role—a timeframe likely to be condensed 33-50% by crash-course-style instruction. However, the training and equipping of maintainers may take longer.
The Leopard 2’s thermal sight And powerful gun, if suitably supplied with modern shells, allow it to overmatch most Russian tanks at long distances, at which range its front turret can survive most return fire. That said, it’s not invulnerable, particularly to ambushes on its flanks like most tanks, And even to heavier hits on its front hull.
If Leopard 2 transfers are authorized, the fact that there are so many potential donors and that new tanks are assembled nearby in Germany, may make it an appealing core for Kyiv’s future armored force. However, German industry’s inability to build the latest Leopard 2A7V model rapidly (causing Poland to buy tanks from the U.S. and South Korea) and Berlin’s general jitteriness authorizing arms transfers to Ukraine might give Kyiv pause.
For now, though, Kyiv will appreciate whatever it can get—its need for more armor with which to liberate occupied territory in 2023 is as much about quantity as quality.
Sébastien Roblin writes on the technical, historical, and political aspects of international security and conflict for publications including The National Interest, NBC News, Forbes.com, War is Boring and 19FortyFiveHe is Defense-in-Depth Editor at. He holds a Master’s degree from Georgetown University and served with the Peace Corps in China. Follow his articles online Twitter.
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