LEOPARD 2 TANK
1.Context
Germany has not decided whether to allow its Leopard 2 tanks to be sent to Ukraine, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said after a U.S.-led meeting of Ukraine’s allies ended Friday with no consensus
2.What is leopard 2 tank
The Leopard 2 is one of the world’s leading battle tanks, used by the German Army for decades and by the militaries of more than a dozen other European nations, as well as by the armies of countries as far apart as Canada and Indonesia
It has seen service in conflicts in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Syria.
The tank, which is powered by a diesel engine, features night-vision equipment and a laser range finder that can measure distance to an object, enabling it to better aim at a moving target while traveling over rough terrain
There are multiple iterations of the Leopard 2 with different features and designs
.png)
Image Source: Army Technolo
3.Reasons why Ukraine acquiring tank
Until now, both Ukraine and Russia have used Soviet-era tanks in battle, and the Leopards would offer a big step forward in capability
Ukraine’s government has been calling for tanks on top of earlier packages of military aid from allies in the United States and Europe that included aircraft, air defense systems to protect against Russian missile and drone attacks and longer-range artillery
Supplies of the Leopard 2 would help offset Russia’s superiority in artillery firepower, which aided Moscow in seizing two cities in eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk province over the summer
They could be of particular value as the war approaches its second year and Ukraine looks to reclaim lost territory and expects a Russian spring offensive
4.Why is leopard 2 is better than other tanks
Britain has promised to supply Ukraine with 14 of its Challenger 2 tanks, and two U.S. officials said Thursday that Washington planned to supply nearly 100 Stryker combat vehicles, though it has not committed to sending American-made M1 Abrams tanks, which require constant upkeep and generally run on special fuel
Logistics and maintenance would be easier. Spare parts and know-how are here in Europe, so the training of Ukrainians would be easier
European countries use the vehicles, multiple nations could contribute either the tanks themselves, or spare parts, training capacity or logistics, said Alander, an expert in northern European security and German foreign policy
