Germany boosts Ukraine's defense with advanced howitzers and tanks

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced that Germany would provide Ukraine with an additional 12 Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzers. In cooperation with the Netherlands and Denmark, 77 Leopard 1A5 tanks will also be delivered to Ukraine. We present the performance of the declared equipment.

As reported by the portal Welt, the decision was made during talks of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) held at the Ramstein base on August 16, 2024, at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius stated that half of the declared Panzerhaubitze 2000, worth 3.2 billion CAD, will be sent to Ukraine by the end of 2024, and the 77 Leopard 1A5 tanks will be delivered as soon as possible.

For the tanks, Germany's partners are the Netherlands and Denmark, which will likely be responsible for the training base, as has been the case so far. A few months ago, we reported on the use of tanks from Danish armoured museums in the training of Ukrainians.

Twelve units will join the already operational 27 PzH-2000 howitzers in Ukraine, coming from Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy. The German howitzers are the most advanced machines of this type in Ukraine, offering excellent mobility, the highest level of crew protection, and excellent firing parameters.

However, they are also the most complex machines, requiring significantly more care and being more prone to the hardships of war compared to, for example, the less advanced Polish Krab. These also allow for similar target effectiveness and spend much less time off the front lines for repairs.

There have been recordings of crews using the PzH-2000 in emergency mode, where the howitzer was deprived of its main advantage, the loading auto mechanism.

The Panzerhaubitze 2000 is a heavy, 63-ton tracked howitzer. It is equipped with a 155 mm gun with a barrel length of 52 calibres and an automatic loader that allows firing up to 10 rounds per minute, which is an excellent result. This high rate of fire allows for up to five shots in MRSI (Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact) mode, where all projectiles hit the target almost simultaneously over a distance of more than 19 kilometres.

The range depends on the ammunition used. The standard DM121 shells will reach 24 to 26 kilometres, 40 to 42 kilometres for shells with a gas generator, and even up to 60 kilometres with rockets like the M549A1. Additionally, the PzH-2000 can use special projectiles such as the SMArt 155, whose sub-munitions autonomously seek out and target armoured vehicles, or Vulcano GLR sub-calibre guided munitions with ranges of up to 80 kilometres.

Moreover, the ammunition magazine, which holds 60 ready-to-fire rounds, is fully isolated from the crew, and its loading takes only 12 minutes. This significantly reduces the risk of destruction during ammunition replenishment. This, combined with the ability to take or leave a firing position in less than a minute and strong armour using Igelpanzerung mats, makes the PzH-2000 a very complete system in the right hands.

Although Leopard 1 tanks are a completely outdated design unsuitable for fighting modern tanks, in Ukraine, the A5 variant from the 1990s can be useful. Given that the Russians are pulling out relics like the T-62 tanks, the Leopard 1A5 loaded with newer ammunition and equipped with the EMES-18 fire control system with thermal imaging borrowed from the first variants of the Leopard 2 can be a formidable machine.

This allows it to detect the enemy and fire the first shot. Additionally, Ukrainians use tanks as self-propelled artillery to fire at about 10 kilometres. This makes artillery shells the main threat, and the armour, although illusory in tank combat, is sufficient to protect against fragments. Some crews further strengthen it with Kontakt-1 blocks to defend against drones.

This allows the Ukrainians to pull back more armoured machines, like the T-64BW, for assault units or the most dangerous sections of the front, while the Leopard 1A5 tanks are deployed in less intense directions. The Leopard 1A5's advantage is also its very good off-road mobility due to its light weight of just over 40 tonnes and an engine with just over 800 horsepower.