The superiority of the Leopards, however, came into question after it suffered setbacks on Syrian battlefields. The tank is armed with ready-to-use ammunition in a separate compartment in front of the hull by the driver. These specs come in handy while aiming a moving target even over rough terrains.īesides, the armour of the Leopard 2 tank is so composite that it offers good protection against armour-piercing rounds and anti-tank-guided weapons.Īs for the gun, they are armed with a fully-stabilized Rheinmetall RH-M-120 120 mm smoothbore gun which can fire 42 rounds.
Powered by a diesel engine, the Leopard 2s feature night-vision equipment and a laser range finder. Currently, the Leopard 2 MBTS are used by the German Army and its allies, including Poland, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Norway, and Indonesia. Since then, the Leopard 2 has proven its mettle as a machine that can give American M-1 Abrams and the British Challenger 2 a run for their money. Leopard 1s was phased out subsequently by 2003, due to its many flaws. This was just a couple of years after a previous Leopard 1 entered service. Under threat from Communist forces, the West German army needed a well-protected tank and that resulted in the development of the Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank (MBT) in 1970. The stalemate is currently proving to be a nightmare for Kyiv, which is eyeing the tanks for their mobility, armour and firepower in its desperate attempt to push through Russian defences.īut, what is it that makes Leopard 2 Main Battle tank a much sought-after war machine?Ī battle tank reputed to be one of the finest in the world, the Leopard 2 was born during the Cold War era when NATO was wary of the Warsaw Pact. Germany has made it clear that it will send Leopards to Ukraine only if the US agrees to send its M1 Abrams tanks to Kyiv. As Russia continues to pound Ukraine, the country's President Volodymy Zelensky has renewed his pitch for battle tanks and much of the discussion is centred around one piece of military hardware: German-made Leopard 2 Main Battle Tanks.įor the last two days, Ukraine's plea for the Leopard 2s is getting deflected on a stand-off between the US and Germany over sending them to Kyiv.
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