Speedy modernisation: First batch of Spanish Leopard 2A4 tanks ready for Ukraine
According to the Infodefensa portal, work on modernising Spanish Leopard 2A4 tanks is progressing perfectly. These tanks were promised to Ukraine in upcoming aid packages. Some of the tanks are already prepared to be sent to the front lines, with the others expected to be ready within a few months at the latest.
This refers to 19 Leopard 2A4 tanks the Spanish authorities promised Ukraine a few weeks ago. Each tank was to undergo inspection and necessary repairs at the Santa Bárbara Sistemas defence plants.
The Spanish portal emphasises that they have met their commitments and have already prepared the first batch of 10 Leopard 2A4 tanks, which they did in a record time of only three months. It appears that the delivery of these tanks to Ukraine will be organised "within the next few days."
This is not the end of the good news for Ukraine. Journalists of the newspaper El Heraldo revealed that work has already begun on the remaining nine Leopard 2A4 tanks, and according to plans, they will be completed no later than September this year.
Leopard 2A4 still useful on the battlefield
Spain is slowly becoming one of the larger suppliers of Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine. Although these machines are already quite old (produced in the late 1980s and early 1990s), they remain helpful on the battlefield, especially on the front lines in Ukraine, where both sides of the conflict often use even older and less well-equipped tanks.
At one time, the Leopard 2A4 was intended to counter Soviet tanks like the T-72B and T-80. The German design is based on the Rheinmetall L/44 smoothbore gun calibre 120 mm, a couple of 7.62 mm machine guns and a smoke grenade launcher. From the crew's point of view, the Leopard 2A4 must have a fire control system with thermal imaging.
Measuring nearly 10 metres in length, the Leopard 2A4 is powered by a 1,500 hp engine. This engine enables it to reach speeds of up to 70 km/h on paved roads while providing decent mobility off-road. The range on a single fuel tank is estimated at 550 kilometres. It is worth noting that the Ukrainians have reinforced some of the Leopard 2A4 tanks received from the West with Kontakt-1 reactive armour blocks, which improve the tanks' resistance to attacks using anti-tank guided missiles.
