Leopard 1A5 tanks bolster Ukrainian defence with advanced upgrades
A video recording of Ukrainian crews being trained on Leopard 1A5 tanks has been released online. According to Ukrainian soldiers, these machines, whose capabilities we outline, are noticeably better than Soviet-era tanks from a similar period.
The history of Leopard 1 tanks dates back to the 1960s. The A5 variants are from the 1990s and introduced several significant improvements over the older versions. For example, they feature the EMES 18 fire control system, which is based on the EMES 15 system from the Leopard 2A4 tanks. Because of this, the Leopard 1A5 offers much more effective firing capabilities compared to tanks from the T-62 or T-72 families. This is also highlighted by Ukrainian soldiers.
Leopard 1A5 tanks in Ukraine
"Our soldiers describe the Leopard as faster and more accurate compared to the T-64 and T-72 tanks," said Oleksandr Pawluk, commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, as quoted by Defense Romania.
A video from the training of Ukrainian crews on Leopard 1A5 tanks was published on social media by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. Kyiv has already received dozens of these machines as part of Western support, and more are expected in the coming months. The main suppliers of Leopard 1A5 tanks to the front are Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
Ukraine received upgraded Leopard 1A5 tanks
The Leopard 1A5 tanks provided to Ukraine have been upgraded to perform better in encounters with Russians. They have been fitted with Kontakt-1 reactive armour blocks, solving one of the tanks' biggest drawbacks: the weak armour by today's standards. However, this concept does not always work, and even such an upgraded Leopard 1A5 will not match the armour durability of tanks developed in later years.
On the other hand, it is more durable than many Soviet-era vehicles of this type and additionally has relatively significant offensive capabilities, making it a considerable aid to the Ukrainian army. The main gun of the Leopard 1A5 is a 105 mm rifled cannon. Developed in Germany, the tank can reach speeds of about 65 km/h on hard surfaces and about 40 km/h off-road.
