Ukraine may receive additional Leopard 2A4 tanks from Spain
Spain has announced that it is ready to supply Ukraine with Leopard 2A4 tanks, as reported by the Ukrainian service Defense Express citing Reuters. The decision was announced by the Spanish Minister of Defense Margarita Robles. Earlier, Madrid refused to send the machines, citing the poor technical condition of the vehicles as the reason, which could threaten the tankers operating them. According to initial announcements, it is even more than 50 vehicles; this is much more than declared by other countries.
Madrid originally considered giving Ukraine 40 Leopard 2A4 tanks stored at a military base in Zaragoza, as reported by Adam Gaafar. However, the Spaniards withdrew from this idea, citing the poor technical condition of the vehicles as the reason. According to the latest reports, the decision has changed and Spain will hand over the tanks to the Ukrainian army. It is possible that it was influenced by Germany's consent to send Leopards to Ukraine.
Ukraine will get more Leopard 2A4 tanks?
According to Defense Express, according to security and defense researcher Felix Arteag of the Elcano think-tank, Spain has 108 Leopard 2A4 tanks. Some of the machines are located in the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and 53 are at the military base in Zaragoza. These machines will need to be modernized before they get into the hands of the Ukrainians. The Ukrainian website, citing a source familiar with the matter, said that the Spaniards had already assessed the renovation needs. Their costs, which have been accepted by both Germany and Ukraine, will be covered by a special fund, and the machines will most likely be ready for use within two months.
Spain is ready, under this coordination, to work with our allies to do whatever is necessary, including sending Leopards, training in the use of these Leopards, and helping with their maintenance and upkeep," said Margarita Robles.
The Leopard 2 was the first third-generation MBT in history, and the 2A4 version was produced in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as noted by Gaafar. Madrid became interested in these machines when looking for a replacement for the Spanish AMX-30B and the aging M60A3. In 1995, Spain decided to lease 108 Leopard 2A4s from Germany. In 2001, the lease was extended, but according to Fighting Vehciles, the state finally decided to buy it. It was finalized in 2005, and the Spaniards paid 16 million euros for the tanks.
The Leopard 2A4 tanks represent the pinnacle of Cold War tank development. Their equipment includes automatic fire suppression system, as well as a digital fire control system capable of handling new types of ammunition. They are distinguished from previous versions of Leopards by, among others, armor reinforced with layers of titanium and tungsten.
This tank is armed with a 120 mm Rheinmetall L/44 smoothbore gun, a 7.62 mm MG3A1 coaxial machine gun and an additional 7.62 mm MG3A1 machine gun. Protection is also provided by 4×4 76 mm smoke grenade launchers. The Leopard 2A4 can accommodate a crew of 4 – commander, driver, gunner, and loader. In the case of hardened roads, they can move at a speed exceeding 70 km/h, and their range is estimated at 550 km.