war in Ukraine
Allegedly captured Leopard 2: What the Russian army can learn from a wreck
Russian soldiers near the wreckage of a Leopard 2A4
© Twitter / Commons
Allegedly, the Russian troops captured a Leopard 2. He won’t fight Ukraine, but such a “study object” would provide important insights, such as weaknesses and armor.
At the start of the ground operations of the Kiev summer offensive, the Russians managed to hit several columns of Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and German Leopard2 tanks badly. The destroyed and broken-down vehicles were exploited by propaganda. Each device was shot from multiple angles, and the clips flooded the internet.
In terms of PR – or “war in the information space” – it was the worst case scenario for Kiev, even if the losses in the crowd are still manageable. In the West, attempts were initially made to downplay the defeat. Only the burned-out vehicles were counted as casualties because the Ukrainians could still salvage and repair the other damaged tanks.
Leopard 2A6: salvage actually unlikely
This is difficult in the gray zone between the lines, because the Russians will hardly stand by and watch a distressed vessel being loaded. Some wrecks were shelled to further destroy them. But now the Russians claim to have salvaged wrecks themselves. So far there is no real evidence. Videos show Russian fighters wrecking a Leopard 2A4, but there are no videos of a 2A6 as claimed. In any case, it is unclear whether they managed to recover a 60-ton colossus.
Assuming it’s true, that would be another serious defeat. In the information space, the Kremlin would of course convert this through ball and display any captured tanks.
Can the western tanks fight Ukraine now?
However, no one need fear that the Russians will actually be able to use the West tanks, even if they get their hands on more models. A slightly damaged tank that has just lost a track can be set in motion for a propaganda stunt and also fire a shot for the camera. However, since Russia has neither spare parts nor suitable ammunition for this large-scale system, the tanks could not be used sensibly at the front.
With the Soviet T models, the situation is different. Despite some differences, the tanks on both sides are based on the same technology, which is why Ukraine was able to integrate numerous captured vehicles into its own armed forces.
Far too valuable to fight
If the Russians really did manage to recover a Leopard 2A4 or even a 2A6, they will remove the tank from the front line as soon as possible anyway, disassemble it and examine it completely. Bradley and Leopard 2A6 are (relatively) modern tanks. They show the best technological level used by NATO armies. Weapons like the Marder infantry fighting vehicle or the Leopard 1 are far less interesting, being so old and outdated that Russian engineers can learn little from them.
The Russians will gather information in two fields. On the one hand they will study Western technology and try to improve their own developments. The leopard would then be a “study object for research purposes”. This will start with the main weapons, all the electronics and targeting will be exciting. But also the little things that may not seem so important to the layman. This goes from material composition to safety bulkheads to the suspension of the chain rollers. In short: every screw is examined and evaluated.
This “technology leak” is problematic, but it will have no impact on the “research and development” issue for the war in Ukraine. Too much time passes before western innovations can be adapted for Russian tank construction and incorporated into production.
Leopard 2 weaknesses
Findings that help your own troops immediately are much more obvious. With a largely undamaged wreck, the Russians will study the Leopard’s capabilities and weaknesses closely. You will now know exactly how fast he can acquire a target, how good his night vision skills are, how the turret can rotate.
They will try to find the tank’s weak points. About the armor. A tank today is not simply protected by a thick steel plate. The so-called composite armor consists of layers of different materials and offers a far better protective effect than pure steel. The Russians will now examine this material mix extensively in the laboratory. In addition, they will know exactly how strong the respective areas are protected.
The photos of the wrecks already show that the protection of the top, which can be attacked by drones, is not far off.
For each battle tank, the enemy draws up sketches showing the zones where a hit is most likely. These sketches will now be much more reliable. In addition, the enemy will collect information on how the Leopard 2 can be fought without strong armor-piercing weapons. The crew’s fighting compartment is most heavily protected in the hull and turret. But the sensors in particular, with which the crew perceives the environment, are far more exposed. They can be damaged by artillery fragments or light weapons. This will not destroy the tank. But “blind and deaf” he falls out of action.
Note: A user was able to assign the screenshots to a 2A4.