Initially, Germany was apprehensive and reluctant. Chancellor Olaf Scholz was of the view that sending Leopard 2s, his country’s main battle tanks (MBT), to Ukraine would escalate the conflict with Russia. His ruling coalition was divided. Polls showed that most Germans were against such a move. But as Russia started pushing through the frontlines, Berlin came under enormous pressure from Washington and other NATO allies to send the Leopard 2, one of the most advanced MBTs in the world, to Kyiv. On January 25, Germany decided to send the tanks and allow other NATO members to re-export the vehicle to Ukraine in what Kyiv’s western allies think would be a game changing move.
The U.K. had already agreed to send 14 of its MBTs, the Challenger 2, to Ukraine. As part of a deal with Germany, the U.S. also overcame its early reluctance and decided to send 31 of its M1 Abrams battle tank. But it’s the Leopards that Ukraine has always asked for, in large quantities. Germany will provide 14 Leopard 2s and other NATO members are planning to send two battalions — around 80 tanks. This means, Ukraine, which is currently operating the Soviet-era T-72s, will have over 100 western MBTs, including Leopards, Abrams and Challengers, by the Spring.
Developed in the 1970s by the West German army, the Leopard 2 entered into service at a time when the Cold War was at its peak. By many standards, defence analysts say, the Leopard 2 is a superior MBT than the Soviet-era T-72 or T-90, the tanks Russia has deployed in the war in Ukraine. According to the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank, the Leopard 2, equipped with night-vision equipment and a laser range finder that can calculate the distance to a target, has a higher level of stabilisation than other MBTs — Leopard 2s can accurately fire at a moving target.
Armed with a 120mm smooth bore gun and two coaxial light machine guns, the Leopard 2 has a range of over 500 km (how far they can roll before refuelling) and a top speed of about 70 kmph, according to Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, the German maker of the tank. In comparison, the Abrams’ top speed is 68 kmph and the Challenger 2’s is 56 kmph. The T-90, Russia’s most advanced MBT, has a range of 550 km and a top speed of 60 kmph.
Deployment in Europe
Leopard 2s, run on diesel, have been used in several theatres (from Afghanistan to Kosovo) and are available in large numbers in Europe — more than 2,000 Leopard 2s have been deployed across the continent. Poland, Ukraine’s neighbour and a key supplier of military aid, has close to 300 Leopard 2s, while Finland, another neighbour, has 200 of them. This meant that Ukraine’s allies could send the tanks and the spare parts rather easily.
The main barrier for supply was the German reluctance — other countries cannot export those tanks without Berlin’s consent. Now that Germany has shown its greenlight, dozens of Leopard 2s are set to roll over into Ukraine. Germany has also said they would immediately start training Ukrainian troops to operate the tanks.
But it’s too early to say if tanks alone can shift the battlefield dynamics in Ukraine. The Leopard 2 is not an all powerful magic bullet. It has its shortcomings. Turkey, which has some 300 Leopard 2s, lost at least eight in an operation against Islamist militants in Syria in 2016. Experts say there are weak points in the tank’s rear and side armour which can be exploited.
In the case of Ukraine, it would take months to train its soldiers to operate these complex weapons systems, which leaves a window open for Russia to expedite its offensive that’s gathering storm in Ukraine’s east and south. And Russia doesn’t face any shortage of tanks — it has up to 1,000 T-90s, according to some estimates, and many more T-72s, besides light tanks such as T-70s.
But still, the remilitarisation of Ukraine should worry Russian President Vladimir Putin. Almost a year into the war, the free flow of weapons into Ukraine from the West is growing, not waning. If demilitarising Ukraine was one of the main declared goals of his “special military operation”, Ukraine now has more advanced offensive and defensive weapons than what it had at the beginning of the war, including heavy battle tanks, armoured vehicles, munitions, medium range rockets and missile defence batteries.
