Forbes / Ukraine’s Getting Nearly 200 Leopard 1A5 Tanks. Now It Needs New Tank Tactics.
Forbes / Ukraine’s Getting Nearly 200 Leopard 1A5 Tanks. Now It Needs New Tank Tactics.
Two hundred Leopard 1A5s is a lot of Leopard 1A5s. But even they will disappear quickly if the Ukrainians don’t deploy them the right way.
In the past nine months, a German-Danish-Dutch consortium, along with individual contributions from Denmark and Germany, has pledged and added 95 Leopard 1A5 tanks to Ukraine's military aid, with the most recent commitment including an extra 25 tanks.
Ukraine is now set to receive a total of 195 Leopard 1A5s, becoming its most numerous Western-style tanks. Despite the Leopard 1A5's advantages in accuracy, range, and speed, its thin armor poses a challenge, requiring strategic deployment to mitigate vulnerabilities and leverage its shooting capabilities effectively.
Ukraine needs to employ proper tactics to make the most of these tanks, particularly in the absence of additional Leopard 2s and potential challenges in receiving more military aid from NATO allies.