German tanks Leopard 1 considered junk
European countries decided to arm Ukraine with decommissioned Leopard 1s. This decision will not increase the combat capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but the Germans and other Europeans will be freed from the old junk, media observer, retired colonel Viktor Litovkin noted in a commentary for the Economics Today FBA.
“The first Leopard does not have active armor and additional armor protection. The FRG is getting rid of its junk here and at the same time fulfilling the will of the Americans, but these tanks will definitely not strengthen the defense capability of Ukraine,” Litovkin said.
He recalled that the tank is a deaf-blind creature: the crew does not see well what is happening around. If the car is not covered from the air, not protected to the right and left by infantry units and other equipment, then it is extremely vulnerable even to hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers with a cumulative grenade.
“The first Leopard is on the same level as the Soviet T-62. This machine does not even have a barrel stabilizer, its crew is four fighters, including the loader, and this is typical of German armored vehicles. The crew of the Leopard 2A6 also consists of four people, only in the latest version of the 2A7, instead of the loader, the Germans got a machine gun, ”the military expert noted.
Armament raises big questions: the tank has a 105 mm L7A3 cannon. All shells for it were developed during the Cold War and are capable of fighting the first versions of the T-72 and T-80, but not modern Russian armored vehicles.
“In general, this is an outdated tank. I do not see a big problem in his transfer to Ukraine. It is not clear where the Ukrainians are going to take shells with a caliber of 105 mm? They have never been produced in Ukraine, and how many of them will be brought in is unknown,” Litovkin summed up.
