Finland has said it is not opposed to shipments. Reluctance to send heavy tanks to Ukraine started lifting this month, with Poland saying it was willing to send Kyiv 14 Leopard 2 tanks as part of an international coalition. The last four models produced are still in use, from the 2A4 to the 2A7. They are equipped with technology that allows their four-member crews to locate and target enemies at long range. The tanks provide "all-round protection" for troops from threats such as mines, anti-tank fire and IEDs, according to the manufacturer. They are armed with a 120 mm smoothbore cannon, can engage the enemy while on the move and can travel at speeds of up 70 kilometres (44 miles) per hour, with a range of 450 km. Globally recognised all-rounderįirst produced in the late 1970s to replace the American M48 Patton and the later Leopard 1, the Leopard 2 is renowned for its firepower, mobility and sturdy armour.Īs German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung put it, the Leopard 2 is "sort of like the (Volkswagen) Golf of the German tank industry: an all-rounder with world recognition".Ībout 3,500 of the 60-ton battle tanks, developed by German weapons manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), have been produced.įactfile on the German-made battle tank, Leopard 2A4 © Guillermo RIVAS PACHECO / AFP The German-made Leopard 2 is seen as one of the best-performing models worldwide and is widely used across Europe, meaning spare parts and ammunition could be easily sourced. While European allies have sent Ukraine hundreds of modernised Soviet tanks since Russia's invasion, Kyiv has pleaded for the more advanced Western armaments to boost its fightback against Moscow. But Ukrainian troops would need to be quickly trained up to use the sometimes complex equipment, and it would also need to be maintained.
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