The German decision to equip Ukraine’s armed forces with main battle tanks will allow Kyiv to take the initiative to push Russia out of its occupied areas of its territory.
• Also read: Leopard 2: “It’s expensive, but it’s the best,” boasts a veteran
• Also read: Ottawa confirms it is sending four Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, with more to come
Ukraine needs Leopard 2 to breach Russian defenses in the south of the country, a flat region ideal for maneuvering main battle tanks. Russia built rows of fortified trenches and bunkers in the conquered territories.
remorse and fear of reprisals
Germany yielded to intense pressure from its allies to show their unity in the face of Russian aggression. If Chancellor Olaf Scholz insisted so much that Washington also send tanks to Ukraine, it was because he did not want Germany to become the main supplier of main battle tanks in another war against Russia.
German leaders are penitent: Tens of millions of Russians were killed by their armies during WWI and WWII. In a recent poll, 40% of Germans said they understood that the Kremlin blamed the West for its invasion of Ukraine over NATO’s eastward expansion.
The Germans also feared that supplying heavy tanks to Ukraine would provoke Vladimir Putin into a new escalation, which could go as far as the use of nuclear weapons.
Around 2,000 Leopard 2 are in service in Europe. Finland, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Poland and Norway can now supply them to Ukraine, which is asking for a hundred tanks. First.
Ukraine wants them deployed for the next six to eight weeks in preparation for the Russian offensive planned for the spring.
It’s not easy, although leopards can be deployed fairly quickly and are easy to learn.
The Abrams: symbolic above all
The Abrams tanks that the Americans will deliver to Kyiv will hardly affect the next phase of the war. President Joe Biden has said they won’t be operational until next fall. Essentially, the American decision was made to unlock the German decision to send Leopard tanks and allow other allies owning those tanks to supply them to Ukraine.
Photo: AFP
The American tank Abrams
The Abrams will present the Ukrainians with logistical and maintenance challenges. They are expensive to operate and maintain and require complex crew training. Unlike the Leopard, which runs on readily available diesel, the Abrams runs on aviation fuel.
Photo: AFP
The Russian tank T-72.
Canada will provide four Leopards with Canadian troops to Ukraine to train the Ukrainians in their deployment. Others can follow.
The Canadian Forces have 112 of them, 82 of which are combat-ready. Canada bought its Leopards from Germany and Holland during the war in Afghanistan.
The Leopard 2s that Ottawa is supplying to Ukraine are of the same model as those promised by Finland and Poland, facilitating the transfer of parts and personnel. They are flown individually to Europe by C-17 Globemasters.
One of the best main battle tanks in the world
- Used by 19 countries, the Leopard 2 is considered one of the best tanks in the world.
- Germany’s main third generation main battle tank entered service in 1979, replacing the Leopard 1 developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s. 3,500 Leopards were sold.
- The latest model, the Leopard 2A7, costs CAD 20.7 million. There are many variations.
- Canadian versions of the tank are armed with a 120mm smoothbore gun, two machine guns, one coaxial, the other flexible, 7.62mm and a 76mm 16-barreled grenade launcher.
- About 2,000 of them are distributed among Germany’s European allies.
- This heavy armor will give Ukraine a tactical advantage on the battlefield thanks to its excellent mobility, firepower and survivability.
- It has a top speed of 70 km/h and a range of around 450 km. Its cannon can hit targets up to 3 km away. The Leopard can also be fitted with front rollers to set off mines when patrolling.
- The Leopard protects its crew better than the Russian T-72 tank it will encounter in Ukraine. Ammo storage is isolated from the cockpit to prevent explosions devastating T-72 where ammo is stored with the crew. Ukraine will also receive 90 T-72 tanks from its NATO allies, which were once part of the Soviet bloc.
- Contrary to what one might think, shoulder-launched man-portable missiles did not render tanks obsolete, as earlier in the war images of Russian tanks being destroyed by Ukrainian infantry suggested such missiles were used. The Russian command had not planned infantry support to defend its armor against such ambushes. In fact, most Russian tanks were destroyed by artillery or drones. Anti-aircraft missiles will therefore be an essential element in defending the Leopards against Russian air attacks.
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