Information on the possible supply of Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine received confirmation. As it became known, the Parliament of Finland, by a majority vote, called for providing Ukraine with the Leopard 2 tanks stored in Finland. In the near future, the government of this country will have to consider the demand of the country’s parliament.
Finland has about 100 Leopard 2A4 tanks in storage, which are not technically used by the Finnish armed forces, which may mean that Finland will provide Kyiv with all this military equipment, probably having received other weapons from the US and other countries, especially since Finland is preparing to join NATO as early as next year.
The supply of 100 Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine may have an extremely negative impact on the future situation in Ukraine since the Finnish Leopard 2A4 tanks are very close to the Russian T-90M Proryv tanks in terms of their characteristics.
The disadvantage of using Finnish weapons will be their heavy weight – in the conditions of Donbas; such tanks are unlikely to be used. However, such equipment, in any case, will pose an additional threat against the much less protected T-62 and T-72 tanks.
Given that the Finnish Parliament sent an official appeal to the government, a response to it should be received within a month.
The Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank
The Leopard 2 is the main battle tank that Krauss-Maffei developed in the 1970s for the German Army. Several other countries have since adopted it, including Austria, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey.
The Leopard 2 is known for its high protection, mobility, and firepower level. It is equipped with a 120mm smoothbore gun capable of firing various rounds, including armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) and high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds.
It also has a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun and a roof-mounted 12.7mm machine gun for air defense. The Leopard 2 is powered by a V-12 diesel engine, which provides it with a top speed of approximately 65 km/h on the road and 45 km/h off-road. It has a crew of four and can carry up to 50 rounds of main gun ammunition.
The Leopard 2 is a highly capable main battle tank designed to be used in various roles, including direct fire support, reconnaissance, and defense against enemy armor.
It is equipped with a powerful 120mm smoothbore gun capable of firing various rounds, including armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) and high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds. These rounds can defeat most types of enemy armor, including other main battle tanks, at ranges of up to 4,000 meters.
In addition to its primary armament, the Leopard 2 is also equipped with a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun and a roof-mounted 12.7mm machine gun for air defense. It has a high level of protection against enemy fire, including both kinetic energy rounds and explosive devices.
The tank’s armor is composed of a combination of steel, composite, and ceramic materials, which provides it with a high level of protection against enemy fire.
The Leopard 2 is also highly mobile, with a top speed of approximately 65 km/h on the road and 45 km/h off-road. It is powered by a V-12 diesel engine and ranges roughly 550 km on a single fuel tank. The tank also has a sophisticated suspension system that allows it to navigate rough terrain easily.
Overall, the Leopard 2 is a highly capable main battle tank that is well-suited for a variety of roles on the battlefield.