After nearly two years of delays due to technical issues, a new batch of 58 refurbished Leopard 1A5 tanks from Germany was reportedly delivered to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in September. This marks a significant step toward fulfilling the pledge of 155 units made by three of Kyiv’s European partners: Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The challenges of acquiring discontinued parts appear to have been overcome, and an increase in the pace of deliveries of these armored vehicles to Ukraine is expected as part of efforts to counter the Russian invasion.
The news was disclosed by Forbes analyst David Axe in a column published on the 26th of this month. According to the report, these 58 tanks will join the 45 Leopard 1A5s already sent by Berlin between 2022 and 2023. Once the remaining deliveries are complete, the Leopard 1A5 will become the Western tank model with the highest number of units deployed in Ukraine, surpassing the 104 German Leopard 2 tanks, 80 U.S. M1A1 Abrams, and 14 British Challenger 2s.
Reports indicate that the newly arrived Leopard 1 tanks are intended for the dozen new brigades formed by the Ukrainian Army in recent months. However, their specific allocation remains unclear, as each brigade typically requires 31 tanks to establish a single operational division. At this stage of the war, it is widely known that the other three mentioned tank models have already been organized into their respective brigades and deployed in combat multiple times against Russian forces.
While the Leopard 1A5, which entered service in the 1980s, does not feature cutting-edge technology or heavy armor, it has proven highly effective in providing fire support for the Ukrainian Army. This is primarily due to its reliable L7 105mm gun with a range of 3.5 kilometers and its accurate EMES-18 fire control system, which has earned the approval of Ukrainian tank crews.
To mitigate its vulnerabilities, Ukrainian engineers have explored adding reactive armor to the tank, as well as cages or nets to enhance protection against drones. According to Axe, only six losses of this model were confirmed in 2023, indicating that most of the fleet remains operational. However, it is important to note that Ukraine has avoided deploying these tanks in the most challenging front-line areas.
Finally, Berlin announced last week not only the arrival of the last 15 Leopard 1A5 tanks from this batch but also additional support in the form of air defense systems, artillery, ammunition, and military trucks. Local reports detail the delivery of two IRIS-T systems, two Patriot systems, two Gepard anti-aircraft guns, one PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer, and several other items. With this shipment, Germany’s assistance to Ukraine’s war effort has surpassed €7 billion.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
You may also like: The German Air Force’s new SIGINT aircraft PEGASUS conducts its first test flight
