“Leopard” and “Challenger”: these are the tanks with which Ukraine wants to launch an offensive against Russia [FOTOS]

modern tanks leopard And challenger coming from various parts of Europe and Canada are a key tool with which Ukraine, which has already received its first units, will strengthen its army and with which it hopes to intensify the planning of its counter-offensive.

A dozen countries began to ship to Ukraine -or will do it in the near future -tanks Leopard 2about 150 in total, to which are added the UK-supplied Challenger 2s and US-made Abrams, which could arrive next fall.

Leopard 2, the pearl of European battle tanks

With a combat weight of 62 tons, a maximum speed of 70 km / h and a flight range of 350 km. Leopard 2 This is a German-made armored fighting vehicle, developed according to a project with the United States.

The idea was to create a tank that combines mobility, protection and combat capability. As a result Leopard 2 in Germany and the Abrams in the US, two of the most advanced battle tanks in the world.

As for weapons, the German tank is equipped with a 120 mm Rheinmetall Rh-120 cannon. and two machine guns. It also has the ability to navigate flooded areas and rivers up to 4 meters deep and has a periscope.

The Kraus-Maffei Wegmann Group (KMW) manufactures Leopard 2 has been mass-produced since 1978, in various versions according to the needs of the customer, in addition, since then some improvements have been made. About 3600 copies left the factories of the German consortium.

The German army had 2,125 men, but from 1990 it began to reduce its stock until it reached the 328 units it currently has. Some of these cars arrived in Spain in 1998 under a lease agreement that eventually materialized as a purchase.

Challenger, main battle tank of the British Army

He challenger 2 It is the main main battle tank in service with the British Army and the Royal Army of Oman. Although its main task is to destroy or neutralize armor, the Challenger 2 can operate in any environment of high intensity conflict.

Produced since the 1970s in the UK, armored challenger They have a combat weight of 75 tons, a maximum speed of 59 km / h, a range of 550 km and four crew members.

The vehicle is equipped with a 120 mm L30 tank gun capable of firing both long-rod projectiles (a type of ammunition designed to penetrate vehicle armor) and high-explosive fragmentation (HESH) warhead ammunition. Secondary armament includes a coaxial 7.62 mm chain gun and a 7.62 mm trunnion mounted general purpose machine gun.

In May 2021, the UK Ministry of Defense awarded a contract to upgrade 148 main battle tanks. challenger 2 for the British army. The upgraded vehicle, dubbed the Challenger 3, will be a digital and networked main battle tank with advanced lethality, increased survivability, and advanced surveillance and target acquisition capabilities.

Changing the course of the war?

Waiting for the American Abrams tanks, the arrival of the main battle tanks Leopard 2 And challenger this will increase Ukraine’s firepower and could play a decisive role in the anticipated spring campaign.

In a military conflict characterized by ground attacks, a combination of artillery, both guns and mortars, and infantry, backed by a powerful armored force, can be critical to breaking through Russian lines of defense.

An opportunity that did not go unnoticed by the Russian authorities, who once again put the nuclear letter on the table due to the lack of progress on the Ukrainian front during the winter campaign and in an attempt to force the West to step down, for a long time, to arm the enemy army. (EFE)