Following weeks of mounting political stress from in and out of doors the nation, Germany has agreed to ship Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, a potential turning level for the embattled nation in its gruelling, protracted battle in opposition to Russia.
Germany will present Kyiv with 14 Leopard 2 tanks and associated ammunition from its nationwide shares, in addition to the required coaching to function them on the battlefield. It is going to additionally enable the export of those German-made tanks by different Western international locations that want to be a part of the worldwide coalition.
"This resolution follows our well-known line of supporting Ukraine to one of the best of our skill," mentioned German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in an announcement.
However what precisely makes the Leopard 2 tanks so essential?
The Leopards are developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), a Munich-based defence firm, and are utilized by a number of European international locations, together with Poland, Spain, Greece, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland, in addition to others like Canada and Turkey.
Based on KMW, there are 4 fashions of Leopard 2: A4, A5, A6 and the most recent addition, the A7+, which the corporate describes because the "world's most superior fundamental battle tank."
Germany's resolution will contain the A6 model, which has a most velocity of 70 km/h, a variety of 450 kilometres, a 120 mm smooth-bore cannon and seven.62 mm machine gun.
The Leopard is "fairly highly effective with regard to firepower. So, it could hearth fairly a protracted vary with several types of ammunition that you may principally form in the direction of your goal, so what you wish to hit, you possibly can select several types of ammunition for that," Dr. Christian Mölling, head of the Centre for Safety and Defence on the German Council on International Relations (DGAP), instructed Euronews.
"It has a really superior armour, which can also be essential for the tank crews. If you do not have to worry that any shot that hits you signifies that you principally go up in flames, it is fairly one thing that helps you psychologically."
"And third level is manoeuvre," Mölling added. "It is fairly a speedy car. So this additionally provides you a sure tactical benefit in transferring out and in fairly quick, but in addition crossing distances in a fairly brief vary."
Logistically talking, the Leopards current a key benefit over America's M1 Abrams and the British Challenger 2: bigger shares.
"It is spare components, it is restore, upkeep, and overhaul that must be accomplished. And there the pool of Leopard is far larger," Mölling mentioned.
"Even just by cannibalising all of the tanks, you possibly can achieve spare components. So, the quantity of choices that you must function them is far simpler. It is a lot, a lot larger."
Ukraine estimates it wants 300 Western tanks to launch a counteroffensive that may push Russia again to the pre-war traces.
KMW says it has to this point delivered 3,500 Leopard items all over the world, however Western international locations wish to guarantee their very own navy capabilities aren't weakened by continued deliveries to Kyiv.
The oldest fashions of Leopards are the likeliest to be despatched to Kyiv, whereas European governments work to improve the remaining tanks or purchase the most recent obtainable model, Mölling mentioned.
"You'll have to make a really fast resolution on the refill. On the similar time, you must determine which sort of tanks you suppose make an essential navy distinction sooner or later, which can also be extra difficult by the Ukraine warfare," he added.
"Logistical sustainability in a significant warfare is a headache and generally is a nightmare, even to the combating forces, as a result of they're left with out that gear if the logistics do not work."