Russia’s “super tank” T-14 Armata – an “air number”?

Germany is supplying Ukraine with the Leopard 2 main battle tank. Expert Ralf Raths explains the importance – and why Russia’s T-14 Armata tank may be less of a threat.

For a long time, Ukraine had been demanding western main battle tanks, now it is getting the German Leopard 2. However, it has not yet been used in a conflict such as Russia’s war against Ukraine. Ralf Raths, historian and head of the German Tank Museum, explains how the Leopard 2 can help Ukraine – and what its limitations are.

t-online: Mr. Raths, the Ukraine will soon receive German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks. Can the Leopard 2 live up to the high expectations?

Ralf Raths: There is no tank that is indestructible. Nobody knows this better than the crews of main battle tanks, because that is exactly their task in the event of a war: eliminate enemy tanks. The Leopard 2 from Germany, the American M1 Abrams or any other model in the world – any tank can be destroyed.

Which in turn means losses are inevitable.

Correct. One fact that every commander of a tank unit is aware of before the battle: after the attack, the unit will be smaller than before. The losses can be ten percent, but they can also amount to 60 percent. The primary task of a battle tank is clear: eliminate enemy battle tanks as quickly and efficiently as possible. This principle applies to both sides.

Ralf Rathsborn in 1977, has been director of the German Tank Museum in Munster, Lower Saxony. On the YouTube channel @The tank museum the historian regularly provides information on aspects of military history.

Why was the German Leopard 2 demanded so vehemently by the Ukraine?

When it came to the demand for the Leopard 2, there were certainly also political considerations. Because in addition to the Leopard 2, there is also the Leclerc from France or the K 2 from South Korea, in addition to the M1 Abrams, which will also be delivered to Ukraine in the future – all these models form a kind of generation of battle tanks, they are also quite similar. From the point of view of the Ukrainian military, the model is therefore initially not decisive: it was more generally about Ukraine receiving modern Western battle tanks.

Now even heavy battle tanks are vulnerable – not only in battle against other battle tanks. How will Ukraine use the Western models?

The main battle tanks are actually initially a great advantage on the battlefield: mobile, powerful and well armored. However, they also have various weaknesses. For example, the drone attacks in Ukraine make it clear that they are very vulnerable to attacks from the air.

leopard

Which requires efficient anti-aircraft defenses.

This fits neatly into the so-called concept of combined arms combat. In concrete terms, it means that no branch of arms fights on its own. The main battle tank needs both anti-aircraft defense and armored personnel carrier support. Their infantrymen protect the main battle tanks in the field. You could also compare it to an orchestra, except that we’re not talking about violinists and trumpeters, but about leopards and cheetahs.

Success is only possible if everyone “plays” together.

I agree. The Ukrainian armed forces must conduct mobile, modern combat operations in order to come up against the Russian artillery and the numerically stronger opponent. And main battle tanks like the Leopard 2 are the weapon with the highest impact. After the delivery of other weapon systems such as the anti-aircraft tank Gepard, they are now the keystone in a semicircular arch. Used correctly, the Leopard 2 can do a lot. However, this requires a certain mass of tanks.

The Leopard 2 has never been used in a “real” war, but Turkey lost three Type 2A4s in Syria in 2016 in the fight against the terrorist organization “Islamic State”. Will it live up to its reputation as possibly the best main battle tank in the world?

The Leopard 2 has never been involved in a high-intensity battle, yes. However, he has been on all sorts of training grounds for so many decades that his performance can be assessed very well. The future will show everything else.

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