Spain takes lead in tank donations to Ukraine
As reported by the Infodefensa portal, preparations are underway in Spain to send additional Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine. The transport will be routed through Poland, but another point draws attention here. It turns out that Spain, not typically considered a tank powerhouse, has become the leading country providing Ukraine with Leopard 2A4 tanks.
The Spanish Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, confirmed that "the tasks related to finalizing this transport are practically completed, and the tanks will soon head to Poland, where the delivery of materials for Ukrainian forces is coordinated."
More Spanish Leopard 2A4 tanks for Ukraine
This refers to the last units from a batch of 19 Leopard 2A4 tanks that the Spanish authorities promised Ukraine at the beginning of this year. However, these are not the only machines from Spain that have been managed and refurbished for Ukraine. In 2023, Madrid sent 10 Leopard 2A4 tanks to Kyiv.
On the pages of the Defence Express portal, which specializes in military topics and the war in Ukraine, it was noted that 29 Leopard 2A4s give Spain the first place on the donor list for this type of tank. It surpasses not only Poland (with 14 Leopard 2A4s delivered) but also Denmark and the Netherlands and Germany, the country where these tanks originate. Although Spain does not have a massive arms industry, Madrid was able to organize a stable renovation process for Leopard 2A4s for Ukraine at its own Santa Bárbara Sistemas plants.
Leopard 2A4 in Ukraine: Performing well
Among Western tanks in Ukraine, the Leopard 1A5 is the most numerous. However, the newer Leopard 2A4 provides greater durability and, most importantly, significantly better offensive capabilities, as Ukrainian soldiers have repeatedly pointed out. It is armed with a Rheinmetall L/44 smoothbore gun of 120 mm calibre, and additionally, it features a rather advanced EMES 15 fire control system with thermal imaging.
The Leopard 2A4's combat weight is over 54 tonnes. It is a tank about 10 metres long and more than 3 metres wide. Built-in fuel tanks with a total capacity of approximately 1,200 litres allow the crew to travel about 550 kilometres without refuelling. An engine with 1,500 horsepower provides propulsion, enabling the Leopard 2A4 to reach speeds of up to 70 km/h on paved roads.
Of course, although this tank's durability is much better than that of old Soviet-era tanks, it cannot compare to even newer models. Therefore, Ukrainians often decide on additional modifications, such as installing reactive armour blocks Contact-1.
