Fatal weakness of the new Ukrainian Leopard 1 tanks deployed to the front line

Điểm yếu chí mạng trên dàn xe tăng Leopard 1 Ukraine mới tung ra tiền tuyến - 1 — A Leopard 1A5 tank (Photo: Forbes).

Forbes reported that Ukraine has begun sending Leopard 1A5 tanks to the front lines. A video that appeared on social media on November 19 shows one of the 40-ton tanks moving on a muddy road in Ukraine.

The Leopard 1A5s arrived in Ukraine, nine months after Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark pledged to buy the 1980s-era tanks for Kiev to counter Russia. With 200 promised, the Leopard 1A5s are expected to become Ukraine's largest Western-style tank.

The Leopard 1A5 has precise fire control and a reliable 105mm main gun, compatible with a wide range of ammunition. However, in the first images of this tank on the Ukrainian battlefield, observers noticed a worrying problem.

The tank does not appear to have any additional armor installed. It does not have a cage armor to protect against UAVs. It does not have explosive reactive armor to stop incoming missiles and shells.

The Leopard 1A5 will almost certainly need additional armor. With only 70mm of steel armor at its thickest, the Leopard 1A5 may be the least protected tank in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Even the 1950s vintage Russian T-55s and the equivalent but upgraded Ukrainian M-55Ss are better protected in some respects than the Leopard 1A5.

Ukraine has previously added armor to tanks like the Leopard 2A4, so they will likely make similar additions to the Leopard 1A5.

Ukraine has fitted explosive reactive armor (ERA) to most of its 40 Leopard 2A4s to help them take part in the Russian counterattack. While Ukraine has the capability to do so, whether it can do it quickly is another matter.

Armoring a tank with ERA takes time. Technicians must weld brackets to the vehicle before mounting the ERA. The brackets and armor must not obstruct the crew's vision or the turret's movement.

In fact, the first Leopard 2A4s to roll out to the front lines this summer were not fitted with any additional armor. It wasn’t until September that images from the battlefield showed the vehicles fitted with ERA.

According to Forbes, this could be evidence that Ukraine's wartime facilities lack the ability to replenish armor at high speed.

This shortcoming may not be an issue for Ukraine's best-protected tanks like the Strv 122, Leopard 2A6, Challenger 2, and M-1. But it is certainly an issue for poorly protected tanks like the Leopard 1.

If the ERA supplement is not possible for some reason, Ukraine still has an alternative. The German company IBD Deisenroth Engineering produces a supplementary armor kit for tanks and other vehicles called MEXAS.

The Canadian Army added MEXAS to its Leopard 1s during the tank's final years of service, nearly 20 years ago. In all, MEXAS would at least double the Leopard 1's protection.

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