The Leopard 2, a heavy tank that Ukraine has been demanding from Germany and the Western powers for months, is a world-renowned weapon likely to have a “significant” impact on the battlefield.
(In context: Official: Germany confirms the shipment of ‘Leopard 2’ type tanks to Ukraine)
After weeks of pressure, Germany finally authorized its delivery on Wednesday, announced the German government spokesman, Seffen Hebestreit, a decision described as a “first step” by the Ukrainian authorities.
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Is about a German-made armored combat car, which has a capacity for four soldiers and can fire at targets from 5,000 meters away.
The ‘Leopard 2’ was the result of the further development of the knowledge obtained in a joint project with the United States, which was interrupted in 1969. From that project -the idea was to manufacture a tank that combined mobility with protection and the ability to combat – only seven prototypes remained, but both the United States and Germany continued to work in that direction.
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In Germany the ‘Leopard 2’ was developed and in the United States the Abrams. The ‘Leopard 2’ has been produced in series since 1978, in various variants according to customer needs, and some improvements have been made since then.
multiple advantages
The ‘Leopard 2’ combines firepower, mobility and protection. Designed by the German manufacturer Krauss-Maffei, it was mass-produced from the late 1970s to replace the American M48 Patton tanks and, later, the ‘Leopard 1’.
Till the date, Some 3,500 copies left the production chains.
While the ‘Leopard 2’ is a KMW product, its main weapon, the cannon, was developed by Rheinmetall thus involving two of Germany’s leading arms manufacturers.
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This 60-ton main battle tank is equipped with a 120-mm caliber gun. It is capable of shooting on the move and its 1,500 horsepower engine allows it a maximum speed of 70 kilometers per hour with a range of 450 kilometers.
According to its manufacturer, It is also equipped with “integral passive protection”, effective against mines and rocket launchers. It also has technological tools that allow it to locate and attack the enemy at a long distance.
Wide availability in Europe
Another advantage is that the ‘Leopard’ is quite widespread in Europe, which facilitates access to ammunition and spare parts and simplifies maintenance tasks. The last four models are still in use, including the 2A4, of which Poland proposes to deliver 14 examples to kyiv.
There is also the 2A7, which Berlin does not want to part with, for the sake of its own defense. It should be remembered that the German army had 2,125 ‘Leopard’ type tanks, but from 1990 it began to reduce its stock until it reached the 328 it currently has.
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Finland, equipped with more than 200 examples, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), is also willing to deliver some of them to kyiv.
According to the German press, Other European countries, not specified, would be equally willing to participate in this effort.
Greece, with 350 tanks, and Turkey, which used some of them against Kurdish forces in northern Syria, are the countries with the most examples of the 2A4 model.
When have they been used?
The tanks had been developed with the “cold war” in mind and the eventuality of a confrontation with Warsaw Pact troops around the inter-German border. The Leopards, with support from the Marder defense tanks, were considered to be able to stop the Soviet bloc tanks in a possible fight on level ground.
That is why they had been developed thinking above all about the possibility of destroying enemy tanks while on the move.
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In addition to a main gun, the ‘Leopard 2’ has two machine guns and a smoke grenade launcher. This weaponry, according to some experts, it may not be enough if you get into a fight involving not only enemy tanks but also infantry.
The first use of the ‘Leopard 2’ in a real war scenario was in Kosovo, within the framework of the KFOR mission. Denmark and Canada then used them in Afghanistan where, according to the Danish armed forces, they showed resistance to mine attacks. Subsequently, between 2016 and 2019, Turkey used them in northern Syria, where they had difficulties operating in urban areas. The Turks, however, lost three ‘Leopard 2’ as a result of side attacks.
The development of the ‘Leopard’ was made with frontal battles in mind with other tank divisions so the armor on the sides and rear is less robust.
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The issue of delivery times
The best solution would be for countries willing to contribute to send tanks of the 2A4 model. “It is very important that the same model is provided, for training and logistical reasons,” he explained on German radio. RND the former inspector of the land army, General Bruno Kasdorf.
In Germany, the Rheinmetall arms group, which supplies the tank’s gun and its electronic systems and owns dozens of old-model tanks, has already warned that updating its copies would take months, with a view to putting it into service in 2024, according to its manager, Armin Papperger.
According to General Kasdorf, Germany could deliver ‘Leopard 1’ tanks, which have been out of service for about 20 years but can “be delivered in a relatively short time”.
(Also read: Russia warns of escalation of the conflict if they send long-range weapons to Ukraine)
A ‘significant’ impact on the battlefield
The Leopard 2 has a weight of about 60 tons, it can develop a speed close to 70 kilometers per hour, it has the capacity to cross flooded areas and rivers up to four meters deep and has a periscope.
If kyiv could receive a total of a hundred Leopard tanks, the effect would be “significant” on the battlefield against Russian forces, the IISS says.
With the ‘Leopard 2’, “an army can break the enemy lines and put an end to a long trench battle”, confirms Armin Papperger in the newspaper Bild. “With the Leopard, soldiers can advance tens of kilometers at a time.”
WILLIAM MORENO HERNANDEZ
International Writing
*With information from EFE and AFP
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