'The ability for us to train the Ukrainians to conduct these very complex maneuvers is really key for them building combat capability as they push forward with their offensive,' said Raphael Cohen, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, in an interview with NPR earlier this month. Ukrainian officials have said that such tanks could be the key to a speedy Ukrainian victory - perhaps even this year. The West has already supplied other armored vehicles and pledged to send still more, including Bradley fighting vehicles and Stryker combat vehicles from the U.S., and a newly announced shipment of Challenger 2 tanks from the U.K.īut none represents the combination of accuracy, firepower and mobility of the modern battle tanks made by Germany and the U.S. Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine last February, tanks have been prominent on the battlefield.įor its part, Ukraine has mostly relied on Soviet-era T-72 tanks. Why are tanks important to Ukraine's war effort? Some 60 tons of armor protect their crews from return fire.Īmong the countries that operate the Leopard 2 is Poland, which has pledged to send 14 of the tanks to Ukraine but needed Germany's approval to do so. Ukraine invasion - explained Germany signals it hasn't ruled out sending Leopard tanks to UkraineĮach tank boasts a 44- or 55-caliber 120-mm main gun and a 1,500-horsepower engine that allows it to move as fast as 44 mph, according to Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, the German defense company that manufactures the tank.

Current cost of a military tank