Headline: Germany‘s Leopard 1 Tanks Finally Arriving in Ukraine: Forbes Report
Subhead: First Batch of 58 Leopard 1A5s Delivered; Expected to Become Most Numerous Western Tank in Ukrainianinventory
In a significant development, Ukraine has received the first batch of 58 Leopard 1A5 tanks from Germany, as reported by Forbes’ Defense Editor David Axe on December 26. This delivery, after nearly two years of Germany addressing supply chain issues and repairing the tanks, is set to make Leopard 1A5 the most numerous Western-produced tank in Ukraine’s inventory.
According to Axe’s article, these 58 tanks arrived in Ukraine in early September 2024. Notably, in the two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Germany has provided only 45 Leopard 1 and 2 tanks to Ukraine’s defending forces. The latest delivery of Leopard 1A5s is expected to boost the Ukrainian army’s capabilities, with the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces already integrating these tanks into their brigades.
The Leopard 1A5, despite being lighter than similar tanks from the UK and US, has seen improvements in protection. Ukrainian forces have enhanced its defensive capabilities by adding reactive armor blocks and anti-drone netting. Axe reports that out of the 58 Leopard 1 tanks received between July 2023 and early September 2024, only six have been confirmed destroyed, indicating the enhanced protection’s effectiveness.
However, Ukrainian commanders are reportedly hesitant to deploy Leopard 1 tanks to the most dangerous frontline areas. During recent local counterattacks in the Kursk region, Ukrainian brigades primarily relied on their remaining M-1 and Leopard 2A6 tanks.
Interestingly, Ukrainian tank crews have praised the Leopard 1’s qualities despite its known shortcomings. One tank crew member serving as a loader noted that to reduce the risk of 105-mm shell explosions within the turret after enemy impact, only part of the 42 shells are stored inside the turret, with the rest kept in the hull. This design requires the tank to retreat to a safer location for reloading, which can take time.
Despite this, the loader expressed confidence in serving on the Leopard 1. With the Leopard 1A5 set to become increasingly prevalent in Ukraine’s tank forces, this sentiment is likely shared among many Ukrainian tank crew members.
Germany’s Military Aid to Ukraine: What We Know
In other developments, German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius announced on November 19 that the European Union plans to utilize €1.4 billion from frozen Russian assets to fund military purchases for Ukraine by the end of 2024. Pistorius also revealed plans for further aid worth €1.9 billion in early 2025.
During a visit to Kyiv on December 2, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Ukraine would receive its sixth IRIS-T air defense system, Patriot launchers, and Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns from Germany in December. Scholz noted that Germany had previously supplied five complete IRIS-T systems, three Patriot systems, and over 50 Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine.
In another significant development, Germany allocated a new military aid package to Ukraine on December 23, which included IRIS-T and Patriot air defense systems, a batch of Leopard 1A5 tanks, and Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns.
Sources: Forbes, Nv.ua
