The defenders of Ukraine have finally reinforced the Kharkiv front sector with the German main battle tanks Leopard 1A5. Ukrainian soldiers say that although these tanks are quite old, they are much more effective than Soviet-era equipment that they’ve been using before. However, at least one of the Ukrainian Leopard 1A5s was already lost in action.
Leopard 1A5 in training with the Ukrainian crew. Image credit: АрміяInform via Wikimedia (CC BY 4.0)
The Leopard 1 is a rather old tank and you cannot say otherwise. This tank entered service in 1965. A total of 4,744 Leopard 1 tanks and more than one and a half thousand other related machines were produced till 1984.
However, it should be emphasized that the Leopard 1A5 in particular is not as old – this version entered service only in 1986. Many of the earlier Leopard 1 tanks were upgraded to the 1A5 standard, borrowing a lot of technology from the Leopard 2, which entered service in 1979.
The Leopard 1A5 weighs about 43 tonnes, and has a crew of 4 and a 105mm rifled gun (NATO standard of the era). On the road, the Leopard 1A5 can accelerate to 65 km/h. It is slower but lighter than later-generation tanks. The lighter weight makes the Leopard 1A5 easier to transport and, hopefully, it won’t sink into soft soil as much.
Ukrainian Leopard 1A5s. The defenders of Ukraine will get around 100 of them. Image credit: АрміяInform via Wikimedia (CC BY 4.0)
Ukrainian soldiers who already tested the Leopard 1A5 in real battles reportedly praise these German tanks and note that the Leopard 1A5 can hit targets at a distance of up to 5 kilometers. This would be an astonishing achievement, especially having in mind that in real battles such long-distance shots are not necessary.
One of the upgrades applied to the 1A5 version was the fire control system EMES 18 with excellent sights.
Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark will transfer around one hundred Leopard 1A5 tanks to Ukraine. They are being prepared for battles by the manufacturer Rheinmetall. It is not known how many of these tanks are already in Ukraine, but some of them are already performing combat duties.
One Leopard 1A5 has already been spotted in combat in the Kharkiv region, somewhere near Kupyansk. While at first it was performing its duties, firing several shots towards the Russian positions, later on, it was attacked several times and eventually was abandoned by its crew. The situation was caught on video, apparently taken by a Russian drone.
The first footage of a Ukrainian Leopard 1A5 operating at the front, reportedly near Kupyansk. Unfortunately it was hit and abandoned. These refurbished tanks were supplied by a joint effort of Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. In total, ~100 are to be supplied. pic.twitter.com/lRsIhpxeoG
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) November 28, 2023
The video shows how the Leopard 1A5 was pushing through an open field and fired at the Russian positions. It itself was attacked several times and seems to have been eventually abandoned. Yes, this tank will most likely be destroyed – the open hatches will accept the charges dropped by the drones.
However, it seems very likely that this Leopard 1A5 did its job – the crew was able to evacuate and didn’t perish with this tank.
There were some concerns about how the Leopard 1A5 will perform in Ukraine, where the battles are harsh. However, the effectiveness of this tank will depend on the tactics of the defenders of Ukraine. The Leopard 1A5 is still more protected than infantry fighting vehicles and those are not just some death boxes.
Written by Povilas M.
Sources: 24tv.ua, NOELreports Twitter