Britain’s Challenger 2 is the supreme battle tank but the German-made Leopard 2 is the best choice for Ukraine to beat Russia, a tank commander has said.
“As a single commander, I would take a Challenger 2 over a Leopard 2 every day and twice on Sundays, but if I was running an armoured unit I would take 50 Leopards over 14 Challenger 2s,” Justin Crump, a Challenger 2 commander with the Royal Wessex Yeomanry, told i.
For tanks to be truly effective against Russia, Ukraine needs a large and comparatively common fleet, which it will be able to secure with the Leopard 2, said Mr Crump, a military veteran and reservist and founder and chief executive of intelligence risk firm Sibylline.
“At this stage therefore, although useful, the Challenger 2 and Abrams [from the US] donations are more a sign of solidarity and what we really need to see is the large scale arrival of Leopards as the best and most available all round option.”
The German Army says the Leopard 2 is world-leading and “characterised by its lethality, mobility and protection”.
It will prove most useful because Ukraine will be able to secure a large number of vehicles and the spare parts to fix them up after battle and for wear and tear.
Germany will initially provide Ukraine with one company of Leopard 2 A6 tanks, or 14 vehicles. This move gives other countries that operate the tank the green light to re-export the vehicles to Ukraine.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) recently said shipments of the Leopard 2 would “replenish Kyiv’s tank fleet, which has suffered attrition, and add to its capabilities. It is believed that for the Leopard 2 tanks to have any significant effect on the fighting, around 100 tanks would be required.”
The Challenger 2 is Britain’s main battle tank and the UK Government has pledged to send 14 to Ukraine.
Of all the tanks being sent, Mr Crump says it has the “best combat record, but has potentially the largest support challenges given the different gun and ammunition used plus spares issues”.
He says the US M1 Abrams is the best “all rounder” but requires a lot of fuel and may struggle on hard patches of terrain.
“Leopard 2 (depending on the variant) is the least protected, but simplest to operate and – most importantly – has a huge user base, easy off-the-shelf support, and a European supply chain that already runs to the Ukrainian border. This matters as, for example, comprehensive overhaul of damaged equipment can easily be done in Poland versus say the US or UK.
“Additionally, Leopard 2 is in use with a wide community and although variants differ they are broadly similar in terms of support. Models up to the Leopard 2 A4 are less effective, albeit still better than most Russian equipment, and are in reserve in many countries so an easy decision to donate. Leopard 2 A5 and upwards are much more modern and are a severe threat to any Russian tank. It is therefore notable that Germany is talking about sending at least a number of Leopard 2 A6, although I still suspect the largest number of donations will be A4.”
Following reports of difficulties in supplying ammunition for Ukraine’s current tank fleet, the IISS said access to Nato ammunition stocks and supply lines for the Leopard 2 “would be of great benefit to Kyiv”.
Having a mix of different tanks will be challenging for Ukraine, but Mr Crump said soldiers had demonstrated that they can adapt.