Ukrainian ingenuity: Fortifying Leopard 2A6 tanks for resilience

The German Leopards are the most represented NATO tanks in Ukraine. Leopard 2A6 is the latest variant and also the newest NATO tank in Ukraine overall. It was produced in the early 21st century to respond to the Russian T-90 series tanks.

Eighteen Leopard 2A6 tanks were delivered to Ukraine from Germany and Portugal, but only a few of them are still participating in combat. The Russians have eliminated as many as 13 of these tanks, 7 of which they managed to destroy (the rest were damaged or abandoned by evacuating Ukrainians). In an effort to protect the remaining units, Ukrainians are opting for modifications.

Although the Leopard 2A6 is much more durable than older variants of this German tank, the realities of the war in Ukraine have led to the installation of additional protections on it.

Ukrainians primarily use slat armour mounted at a distance of up to 50 centimetres from the tank's armour, which, although relatively lightweight, increases the level of protection against simple anti-tank grenades (e.g., from RPG-7 launchers).

Other modifications introduced by Ukrainians include mesh designed to protect against kamikaze drones, massively used by Russians, and Kontakt-1 reactive armour blocks that safeguard against anti-tank missiles.

The main armament of the Leopard 2A6 tank is a Rheinmetall smoothbore gun with a calibre of 120 mm L/55. Ukrainian soldiers have repeatedly noted that, in conjunction with a modern and effective fire control system, it offers great capabilities and allows them to engage targets at distances of up to 4 kilometres. Additional armament in this tank includes two machine guns with a calibre of 7.62 mm.