How “Leopards”, “Abrams” and “Challengers” can change the course of the war in Ukraine
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Now that the Western coalition has confirmed that the threat of super-heavy tanks will be transmitted, it is suspected that this could lead to war, and whether this will be enough to defeat and expel Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine. About the advantages of “Leopards” and “Abrams” over Russian equipment, as well as the prospects for a spring offensive – in the material of the BBC defense correspondent Jonathan Behl. The original text in Russian can be read here.
Can the past week be considered a turning point for Ukraine in this war? Without a doubt, the finally adopted decision of the Western coalition excludes ultra-modern tanks from Kyiv, which will change a lot.
Germany intends to send Leopard-2 tanks, and the US – their M1 Abrams.
The UK and Poland have also claimed responsibility, and other countries are expected to bring them along.
According to some observers, these moves may lead to a turning point on the battlefield. But are they enough to win the war?
Ben Berry, Senior Research Fellow at the Research Institutes (ISS) and a former Brigadier General in the British Army, says in an interview with the BBC that Western tanks have a big impact on the operational situation, but are unlikely to play a decisive role.
In modern warfare, tanks are the key weapon in offensive operations. With their help, the lines of defense from enemies break through and territories are reclaimed. When hit quickly, they elicit firepower, defense, and surprise, discouraging the hearth.
In large concentrations, they sweep away the defenses of the enemy. But in order to weaken this defense first, they need artillery support. And to capture the territory – the help of the infantry.
History shows that tanks are of single sizes.
The British first used old tanks at the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917 to break the stalemate of trench warfare. initially they made significant progress, but soon many of the tanks sprang from the structure and the German counter-offensive wiped out all British successes.
Tanks can also be used in defense. This is how the British and French armies arrived in 1940, holding off the Nazi onslaught at Arras, which subsequently involved the evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk.
But Ukraine has made it clear that it needs weapons not only to contain any expectation of a Russian offensive this coming spring, but also to win back its danger by going on the attack.
How Ukraine can use tanks in the offensive
Restrictions make no sense in the development of tanks along the front line with a length of more than 1000 km. To break through the defense of Russia in the event of the emergence of such forces – perhaps in a section from 5 to 20 km.
Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former colonel in the Royal Tank Regiment of the British Army, says that the amount of equipment is really important for a breakthrough.
An armored brigade for a major offensive usually consists of at least 70 tanks. It matters a lot, he says.
If there were more of them in Ukraine, it would be last year in the northern and southern countries.
Combined-arms maneuver, due to military use, also requires additional support, so the UK is sending Ukraine not only 14 Challenger-2 tanks, but also 30 artillery self-propelled guns and armored vehicles to transport and protect troops.
This new military support package also includes mine-clearing and bridging vehicles. In other words, the basic elements applicable to any offensive operation.
The United States is also supplying Ukraine with more than 100 Bradley and Stryker armored personnel carriers, and Germany, in addition to tanks, is supplying 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles.
Tanks are a kind of spear point, they show up for fast movement in open areas. Challengers, Leopards and Abrams with their speed, at a distance of 40 km per hour, are faster than most Russian-made tanks.
To quickly capture events with a surprise attack, there will probably be attacks in the future, where the technique is more vulnerable to attacks. Russia’s failed attempt to encircle Kyiv early in the war had already demonstrated that long columns of armored vehicles on the road were easy targets.
Ben Barry of the ISS says the attacker is, of course, always looking for the location of the outbreak, but recalls that Russia has spent the past few months reinforcing defensive positions with trenches and anti-tank traps.
In addition, Western tanks weigh approximately 20 tons of heavier Russian models. In addition, the armor provides protection, but this also means that they may be too heavy to increase the speed of future or repaired bridges.
Many of these bridges were blown up in order to slow down the achievement of the goal.
Surprise night attacks
Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, who commanded a tank battalion of Challengers, says he is a highly skilled fighter among the big Westerners. Night vision and thermal imaging cameras are standard.
In Russia, only more advanced models, such as the T-90, are adapted for night combat.
Fighting under the cover of darkness creates elements of surprise and shock to be discovered.
The biggest problem for Ukraine will be logistics – ensuring uninterrupted sales of fuel, food and spare parts.
Now she needs to maintain not only her old Soviet-era arsenal, but also master the ever-complicating capabilities of Western situations.
British Challenger 2 tanks, for example, do not use the same standard ship calibers as Leopards and Abrams.
“Challengers” were generally not produced, and in order to repair them the British Army had to remove parts from more models.
Ukrainian engineers may be familiar with repairing diesel engines like those in Leopards and Challengers, says Ben Barry, but the American Abrams runs on a more sophisticated gas turbine engine and consumes about twice as much fuel as the German Leopard. . .
If the West keeps its promises, Ukraine’s armed forces will be reinforced with more than a hundred tanks. But this is still far from what the Ukrainian commander-in-chief asked for.
In October last year, General Valery Zaluzhny said that an additional 300 tanks, 700 combat vehicles and 500 howitzers were needed for an expected offensive in 2023.
He may have to settle for half.
Training with the requirement to collect time too – weeks, if not months. And it is still not clear when all this equipment will arrive.
The US warned that they were expecting 31 Abrams units, perhaps a number of months and months – up to a year.
Ukraine is also waiting for a response from the West to its repeated request for the transfer of modern aircraft to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. An army attacking the ground will probably be supported by air.
Western leaders hoped that Ukraine could launch an offensive as early as this spring. They believe that such opportunities are now opening up – while Russia is doing its best to accelerate the mobilization of replenishment, its named fairly battered forces, and also replenishes stocks of consumption stocks.
In the past, Ukraine managed to prove to all those who doubted its strength that they were wrong. But she still needs more Western support if she wants to drive Russian troops from her land.
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