The chances of Ukraine receiving the long-awaited Leopard 2 main battle tank from Germany are increasing day by day. Due to Poland’s pressure, the decision has already been taken to supply such German-made combat vehicles to Ukraine, President Andrezh Duda, 50, said during a visit to Lviv. The delivery must contain a total of 14 pieces.
Western-made tanks are “the work of our entire anti-war coalition and a new level of our potential,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, 44, said on Twitter. Zelensky thanked his colleagues “for this further manifestation of unwavering and principled support for Ukraine.” But why did Ukraine insist on the delivery of this tank for so long?
The “Leo” is considered one of the most powerful tanks ever. In fact, as Alexandre Vautravers, colonel and board member of the Swiss Officers’ Society (SOG), explains to Blick, it was considered by far the best-armed machine in the world. No wonder: a 120mm smoothbore cannon acts as the main weapon, there is also a smoke grenade launcher and two machine guns. “Rheinmetall’s L44 gun later became the NATO standard.”
“He can identify targets very quickly”
In the latest version, the tracked vehicle weighs about 60 tons and, thanks to a 360-degree rotating turret, can hit its targets while standing or driving. And that also at high speeds – “Leo” can reach speeds of up to 63 kilometers per hour. “He who shoots, strikes. And whoever hits, kills,” said Ralf Raths, director of the German Tank Museum, to the “Morgenpost” – thus summarizing the tank’s mission.
The Leopard 2 is also the first tank to feature a panoramic periscope, giving it a “hunter-killer” capability. “That means he can identify targets very quickly and fight accordingly,” Vautravers tells Blick. In an emergency, the tank can be operated even without electronics, electricity and with water damage.
Critics say the Leopard 2, like many Western tanks, is too heavy. The Swiss expert disagrees: “Even if the Leopard 2 is heavier than a T-72 or T-90 at 56.5 tons, the ground pressure is lower.” In the end, weight hardly matters.
The agile tank is a real export hit from the German arms company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. 19 countries rely on the Leopard 2 – the Swiss army also owns 134 of the 2006 modernized tanks.
Big advantage on the battlefield
“Leo” was specifically designed to combat enemy tanks – specifically the Russian T-72, T-80 and T-98 used by Russian forces in Ukraine. This is probably one of the reasons why the Ukrainian government is insisting on the delivery of these vehicles.
“Western tanks can observe and fight as they move, while Eastern tanks prefer to stop to observe and fire – making them easy targets,” says Vautravers. “Manual reloading of Western tanks is also faster than the automatic systems of Russian design. So limited, extremely fast attacks that overwhelm the opponent are conceivable. » The “Leo” would give Ukraine a great advantage on the battlefield.
First say no, but eventually say yes
However, permission from Germany is required for the tank delivery announced by Poland to actually take place. Finland has also indicated its willingness to supply “Leos” to Ukraine.
Berlin is reacting cautiously to Poland’s announcement. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit, 50, said on Wednesday whether the federal government would abandon its stance on the Leopard 2 issue: “I don’t think that’s very likely at this point.”
So the bricklaying continues. However, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (41) does not give up and tweeted: “It is always a similar pattern: first they say no, then they vehemently defend their decision, to finally say yes. We are still trying to understand why the German government is doing this.” However, it must be emphasized that a Leopard delivery alone is unlikely to decide the war.