Several Canadian Armed Forces veterans claim that the Leopard 2 tanks that Canada will supply to Ukraine are among the best armored vehicles in the world.
• Also read: Ottawa confirms it is sending four Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, with more to come
• Also read: Germany expects to deliver its Leopard tanks to Ukraine “late March, early April.”
All of the ex-soldiers interviewed by Le Journal have a positive opinion of these tanks, which appear to have a near-pristine reputation.
Laurent Proulx
Private retired
Retired Corporal Laurent Proulx, a veteran of the 12th Armored Regiment of Canada, spent most of his five years in the Army aboard a Leopard.
A member of the armed forces and deployed to Afghanistan from 2005 to 2009, Proulx then made a name for himself as a “green square” against the 2012 student strike movement, before becoming a Quebec city councilor for Régis Labeaume’s party between 2013 and 2017. .
Today he is a restorer in the Center-du-Québec region and still keeps some memories of this tank on his personal desk.
“It costs a fortune, but it’s the best. It is the best armored tank with an impressive fuel range, very strong and very fast suspension for its weight. Certainly there’s nothing better than a Russian vehicle that’s up to the task. This is not good news for them,” explains the 35-year-old veteran, who was trained in Germany for several versions of Leopard.
“I still have the permit in German and it is valid for life,” replies the entrepreneur.
Proulx was even part of the first armored force to use Leopards in Afghanistan.
In 2008, he also struck the theater of operations with an improvised explosive device (IED) without sustaining significant damage.
“Honestly, I could park one parallel on the Grande Allée without a problem! The weapon or sight system is very advanced. There’s a lot of firepower. It’s a very reliable vehicle. If I’m walking around in light Russian armor and there are Leopard 2s around, I’m not happy. The principle is to grab and hold the ground quickly. »
Essential Contribution
While four tanks may seem insignificant in such a war, Laurent Proulx believes this contribution is significant. “I don’t think we can do more. At some point you can’t give what you don’t have. »
A senior Washington-based officer confirmed his statements.
“We have 82 Leopard 2s in our tank regiments. After Afghanistan, however, these main battle tanks left Valcartier to only be present in Gagetown, Wainright and Edmonton. And as for the expertise, it is certain that it still exists. »
Defense Minister Anita Anand also presented these data to Parliament on Thursday.
“It’s by far the best tank, but it needs a well-trained crew. We don’t have many. We have to help Ukraine, but we also have to be able to protect ourselves,” added veteran Stéphane Jolin.
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