German tanks capable of spectacular attacks [VIDEO]

Leopard 2 tanks are among the most advanced tanks in the world: Ukraine will be able to use them against Russian soldiers engaged on their soil.

The German Chancellor has made his decision. After days of hesitation, Olaf Scholz has confirmed the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and, by extension, authorizes Poland to deliver these same German tanks, which Warsaw owns, to kyiv. It was German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit who announced the creation of two battalions of Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine. Germany will therefore provide a total of 14 Leopard 2 type 2A6 tanks from its stocks, as well as ammunition. The training of Ukrainian tankers should therefore begin very quickly.

A decision hailed by Ukraine, which hoped to receive “a lot of Leopard”, but strongly criticized by Russia. “It is an extremely dangerous decision which will bring the conflict to a new level of confrontation”, reacted the Russian ambassador in Berlin, Sergei Netchaev. “This convinces us once again that Germany, like its closest allies, does not want a diplomatic solution to the Ukrainian crisis, and wants a permanent escalation,” he said. he adds.

However, this delivery is not a surprise, Germany had been under pressure from its allies for a few days, the Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Federal Republic of Germany had already tweeted before the official announcement: “the Leopard is released!”. Tuesday, January 24, during his daily address on social networks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had urged Westerners to send these tanks as soon as possible.

What is a “Leopard 2” tank?

But then what are the characteristics of these coveted tanks to reverse the Russian invasion in Ukraine? These German tanks were created as replacements for American tanks, the M48 Patton. It was in the 1970s that the Leopard 1 gave way to the Leopard 2. The latter was designed by the German manufacturer Krauss-Maffei who had to combine power and speed. Such a tank weighs about 60 tons but can achieve peak acceleration at 70km/h.

These tanks have undeniable strategic advantages. With this type of tank, “an army can break through enemy lines and put an end to a long trench war,” said Armin Papperger in the German daily Picture. The boss of the German armament giant Rheinmetall, declared that “this Leopard main battle tank is extremely important for offensives and to reconquer territory (…) with the Leopard, soldiers can advance from several tens of kilometers to time” he boasted. According to the manufacturer, the Leopard 2 is armed with a 120 mm gun equipped with “advanced ammunition” with a range of 4 kilometers.

The war machine would also be extremely robust, allowing it to resist mines and rocket launchers thanks to “integral passive protection” described the manufacturer. This Leopard 2 has additional armor, thanks to a new tank plate. As reported by the specialized media Army Technologytests were carried out on the tank in February 2004 which demonstrated that with the new armor package, the instrument of war could withstand the explosion of an anti-tank mine without sustaining damage.

Its equipment of wheels around caterpillars allows it to go on many terrains. As explained in World Marc Chassillan, engineer and specialist in land military armament, his “role is to try to break through enemy defenses”. Another interesting aspect is its superiority over Russian tanks. Still for the French daily, the specialist explained that “Western tanks were developed between the end of the 1970s and the 1990s, in the middle of the Cold War. From the start, their objective was to destroy Russian tanks and to have a tactical and operational superiority over them. They shoot much better, faster and farther”.

Leopard 2A6 improvements

Germany announced to deliver 14 Leopard 2 of A6 model. Although there is already a superior model the 2A7, the previous tank remains ultra powerful. According to the specialized site Military Today, it upgrades the Leopard 2A5, with additional armor protection and lined tank interior to prevent chipping. Another improvement over its predecessor, the 2A6 model is armed with the Rheinmetall 120mm/L55 gun, which is a longer version of the L44, used on the Leopard 2A5 which allows it to achieve better firing range and aim at greater distance.

This tank is equipped with a panoramic sight with thermal imager to target opponents, once the target is locked, the shooter can aim easily thanks to an automatic shooting aid. Like many tanks, the vehicle can hold four soldiers: the commander, the gunner, the loader and the driver.

A German delivery… when?

However, the tank manufacturer Rheinmetall, which manufactures these tanks with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, warned the German media Bild that among the 22 Leopard 2 tanks and 88 Leopard 1 that Germany has, it will take time to deliver them. because the cost of repairs “amounts to several hundred million euros”. When asked about the delivery time, the manufacturer replied that it would take “a little less than a year”. “This means that even if the decision is made tomorrow that we can send our Leopard tanks to Kyiv, the delivery will take until the beginning of next year,” warned Armin Papperger.