EU may supply Leopard tanks to Ukraine in the near future
2023.01.16 13:45
EU may supply Leopard tanks to Ukraine in the near future
By Ray Johnson
Budrigannews.com – Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, is under pressure to allow the export of Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, which would increase international military support for Kyiv.
Germany has so far resisted such a move, stating that Western tanks should only be provided to Ukraine if Kyiv’s main allies, especially the United States, agree.
Western officials want to strike a balance between providing Ukraine with weapons that could encourage Kyiv to attack Russia or bring NATO into conflict with Moscow and ensuring that Ukraine can defend itself.
The debate over whether or not to deploy the Leopard 2 in Ukraine and the following facts are relevant.
Since the German government must approve the re-export of Leopard tanks, other nations with such tanks cannot send them to Ukraine without it.
Before a meeting of Ukraine’s allies next Friday in Ramstein, Germany, where governments will announce their latest pledges of military support for Kyiv, some German officials have indicated a softening of their position.
Berlin should not stand in the way of nations that want to send Leopards to Ukraine, as stated on Thursday by Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, whose Economy Ministry approves defense exports.
Countries like Poland, which has stated that it wants to take such a step as part of a coalition, would be given the go-ahead to do so.
Scholz hasn’t said yet if he agrees with Habeck or would let Germany send some Leopards to Ukraine.
Western officials want to stay out of the war as soon as possible.
Despite Moscow’s condemnation of increasing arms supplies to Ukraine, the West has not faced any military repercussions. As a result, governments have been more receptive to the idea of sending tanks.
Ukraine has primarily used T-72 variants from the Soviet era up until this point.
Another concern that has been raised by officials in the West is the possibility that advanced Western weaponry deployed in Ukraine could be acquired by Russia or even China, allowing Moscow or Beijing to steal Western military technology.
The tank is thought to be one of the best in the West.
Since beginning production in 1978, German defense contractor Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has produced more than 3,500 Leopard 2 tanks.
The tank has a 120mm smoothbore gun, can hit targets up to five kilometers away, and weighs more than 60 tons.
The Leopard 2 is used by 20 nations. As a result, a number of nations could contribute tanks to support Ukraine. Ukraine would also have an easier time managing crew training and maintenance as a result of this.
Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey operate the Leopard.
One of the Western tanks that is used the most is the Leopard 2. However, in most of the West, tanks and other heavy weapons are scarce three decades after the Cold War ended. After communism fell, many nations saw significant reductions in their armies.
According to German military expert Carl Schulze, Germany has approximately 350 Leopard 2 tanks today, compared to approximately 4,000 battle main tanks at the height of the Cold War.
At the same time, purchasing a large quantity of Leopard 2 tanks quickly is nearly impossible.
The defense industry in Germany is prohibited by law from producing them for stock control. Countries ordering new tanks should anticipate a delivery period of two to three years.
Experts say that even if production was increased, the first new tanks might not leave the factory for at least two years.
Thousands of General Dynamics-built M1 Abrams tanks are in use in the United States (NYSE:). However, due to their use of gas turbine engines, they are considered inappropriate for Ukraine.
According to Schulze, “the Abrams’ kerosene consumption is so high that Ukraine does not stand a chance of operating it in the current wartime supply situation.”
He went on to say that although the Abrams could be driven with diesel, this would not reduce consumption to a level that was acceptable.
Diesel, which is less expensive than kerosene and easier to obtain, powers the Leopard 2’s engine.
According to reports in the media, Britain is thinking about giving Ukraine a few of its Challenger 2 tanks.
Leclerc tanks are utilized in France. It has not indicated whether it would be willing to supply Ukraine with any.
