Germany Delivers First Batch of 10 Leopard 1A5 Tanks to Ukraine Amid Conflict.

Berlin, Germany, July 21, 2023 - German Ministry of Defense announced on 20 July 2023, the delivery of the first batch of 10 Leopard 1A5 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) to Ukraine, as part of its commitment to support the beleaguered nation, according to the German Ministry of Defense. The German Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, had announced in June 2023 the planned delivery of 100 Leopard 1A5 tanks in total.
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German-made Leopard 1A5 MBT Main Battle Tank. (Picture source Krauss-Maffei Wegmann)

The move comes as part of a broader effort by Berlin to equip Ukraine with greater military firepower. Initially, in February, Germany announced the transfer of over 100 older Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine. Pistorius had then estimated that the initial units should arrive by summer 2023, with the full consignment expected to be delivered by early 2024.

Ukraine's military arsenal has also been bolstered by the Danish Ministry of Defense, which announced a donation of 100 Leopard 1A5 MBTs on March 12, 2023. The stockpile of Danish Leopard 1A5 tanks was stored with the German company Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft mbH (FFG).

This is not the first instance of German military aid to Ukraine. Since the inception of the war in Ukraine, Germany has already supplied the country with 18 Leopard 2A6 MBTs and their corresponding ammunition.

The significant military assistance from Germany and Denmark comes at a time when Ukraine is in urgent need of resources to defend its territories. This effort underscores the determination of the international community to support Ukraine in its ongoing conflict.

The Leopard 1A5 is a variant of the Leopard 1 main battle tank, which was initially developed and produced by West Germany. The Leopard 1 tank has been utilized by several nations across the globe and manufactured in a variety of upgraded versions.

Introduced in the 1980s, the Leopard 1A5 was an upgraded model that aimed to enhance the tank's combat effectiveness. This version incorporated a number of significant modifications over the original Leopard 1 model.

One of the key upgrades was the new fire control system, the EMES 18, which included a laser rangefinder and thermal imaging system. This allowed the Leopard 1A5 to accurately engage targets at longer distances, even in poor visibility conditions.

Despite these upgrades, the Leopard 1A5 maintained the same level of armor as the original Leopard 1, consisting of rolled homogeneous armor. Although this meant it wasn't as heavily armored as contemporaries like the American M1 Abrams or the Soviet T-72, the lighter weight did afford it higher mobility.

The Leopard 1A5 was equipped with the tried-and-true 105mm L7 gun, the same as that used in the original Leopard 1. This gun was a staple among NATO tanks, capable of firing a variety of ammunition types, including APDS (Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot), HESH (High-Explosive Squash Head), HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank), and smoke rounds.

Under the hood, the Leopard 1A5 was powered by a multi-fuel 830 hp engine. This reliable engine enabled a top speed of around 65 km/h (40 mph) on road and 45 km/h (28 mph) off-road.

The Leopard 1A5 also received improvements in other areas, such as a new gun stabilization system for better accuracy while moving, and improved ammunition storage for increased safety.

Defense News July 2023