For weeks, Ukraine has been asking for the delivery of Western armored vehicles to counter a possible Russian offensive in the spring. Germany, reluctant at first, gave the green light on Wednesday January 25 to authorize countries that so wish – Poland and Finland in particular – to supply German-made Leopard 2 tanks to kyiv; the country will also provide 14 tanks. At the moment, kyiv only has heavy tanks of Soviet design. Western armor can help the Ukrainians break through the Russian lines and perhaps get out of a long and difficult trench war.
• The Leopard 2, German flagship
This tank is designed and manufactured by the German company Krauss-Maffei. It has been mass-produced since the end of the 1970s. A combat tank weighing around sixty tons, it is equipped with a 120 mm caliber smoothbore cannon and can be fired while moving. Thanks to its 1,500 horsepower, it can reach 70 km/h. Its autonomy is 450 km. It carries a crew of four.
Kauss-Maffei says he has a “integral passive protection”, effective against mines and rocket launchers. The plus: it allows you to fight while moving.
• The Leclerc, the French tank
For French Leclerc tanks, “nothing is excluded”said Emmanuel Macron.
The Leclerc is built by Nexter, formerly GIAT Industrie.
This tank is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore cannon. Its weight is 56 tons. With a power of 1,500 horsepower, it reaches 71 km/h. Its autonomy is 550 km.
It carries a crew of three.
The Leclerc has a thermal protection signature which allows it to reduce its infrared signature.
The plus: it is the only armored combat vehicle capable of firing at a fixed target 4 km away while rolling.
• The Abrams, the American model
The United States also plans to provide tanks. Designed by General Dynamics, formerly Chrysler Defense, the Abrams M1 entered service in 1981.
The M1 model weighs 54.5 tons. Its power of 1,501 horsepower allows it to reach 72 km/h on the road and its autonomy is 498 km.
The Abrams M1A1 and M1A2 are armed with a 120 mm smoothbore gun. It carries a crew of four.
