With the planned delivery of main battle tanks, Ukraine will be provided with the best armored vehicles for the battlefield. These include the German Leopard 2, the US model M1 Abrams and the British Challenger 2. Military experts see the vehicles as a balance of protection, mobility and firepower.
In addition to Great Britain now also want Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway and the USA Send main battle tanks to Ukraine. Also Finland and France consider a tank delivery. An overview of the various tanks promised to Ukraine.
The German Leopard 2
The Bundeswehr has been using this main battle tank in various versions since 1979. Armed with a 120 millimeter cannon, four soldiers on board the younger models can fight targets at a distance of up to 5000 meters. Over the years, the tracked vehicles of the armaments company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann received increasingly thick armor.
The current A7V series, which weighs around 64 tons, reaches a top speed of 63 kilometers per hour with 1500 hp diesel engines. The Leopard 2 A6 is now scheduled to be delivered to Ukraine. When it was introduced in 2001 as an improved version of the A5, the 62.5 ton vehicle was fitted with a new main gun (120 millimeters). The A6M model also has increased mine protection.
Legend:
The Leopard 2 can hit targets at a distance of 5000 meters.
IMAGO/ Bjorn Trotsky
In the next three years, the Bundeswehr is to receive a total of 104 new Leopard 2 A7Vs. Older models are gradually being phased out or given to other countries. According to the annual report “Military Balance 2022” by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Germany has more than 300 Leopard 2 tanks of different series.
The US model M1 Abrams
The US main battle tank is very similar to the Leopard 2. The M1 Abrams has been available in three main variants since 1980. A 120 mm gun has been on board since the M1A1 model. The four occupants are protected from attacks by steel armor. With 1500 hp, the Abrams, which weighs up to 74 tons depending on the model, reaches a top speed of almost 68 kilometers per hour.
Legend:
The US owns over 6000 pieces of the M1 Abrams.
IMAGO/ZUMA Wire
Unlike the Leopard 2, the M1 Abrams is powered by a kerosene gas turbine. According to “Military Balance”, the United States owns more than 6,000 pieces in various designs – a little more than half of them are stored units.
The British Challenger 2
The Challenger 2 has been in service with the British Army since 1998. With a top speed of 59 kilometers per hour on the road and 40 kilometers per hour off-road, the main battle tank is designed to destroy enemy tanks with its 120 millimeter cannon. The crew of four controls the diesel-powered vehicle with a combat weight of 75 tons.
Legend:
On January 14, the British government announced that it would deliver 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine.
Reuters/Tony Nicoletti
According to “Military Balance”, Great Britain has 227 Challenger 2. The Defense Committee in the British Parliament will also give this number in 2021. However, the MPs also note that the vehicle has not experienced any significant increases in performance since its introduction and is therefore technically somewhat behind the Leopard 2 and M1 Abrams. The successor model Challenger 3 is now being developed, and almost 150 units are to be integrated into the British arsenal by 2040.