Protected Beyond Recognition: Ukrainian Armed Forces Showcase and Describe the Leopard 1 (Photos and Video)
Operational Command West showed the training of tank crews from the 5th Separate Tank Brigade, which operates the Leopard 1, in photos and videos. These rather old machines, which Ukraine has been receiving on a regular basis since July 2023, now have such a new set of additional protection that it’s hard to recognize them as Leopard 1 tanks.
In particular, dynamic protection has been installed on the tanks, covering the entire frontal projection of the vehicle, including the lower frontal plate, and the sides are protected on about 3/4 of the hull and the full-sized turret. Additionally, the junction between the turret and the hull are also protected.
The vehicles were also equipped with so-called “hoods” — complex structures with anti-drone nets. It is worth noting that these effective solutions are standard, and all the vehicles seen in the footage had the same equipment. Additionally, these extensive modifications to some extent compensate for the relatively low level of armor, which has been upgraded during each modernization of the vehicle.
At the same time, in the video, Ukrainian tankers mentioned two main advantages of the Leopard 1 tank. Specifically, they highlighted its fire control system with a night sight, which allows effective operation at a distance of up to 4 kilometers during nighttime. This range is greater than what russian tanks can detect, especially considering that many russian tanks are equipped with either the 1PN96 or even older Soviet-era sights instead of the more advanced Sosna-U.
Such a long effective range of sights in these German tanks is due to the fact that the Leopard 1A5 uses the EMES-18 fire control system, a version of the EMES-15 from the Leopard 2A4. It is important to note that the armor-piercing capabilities of the 105-mm sub-caliber shells from the Leopard 1 are sufficient to destroy the T-72, T-80, and T-90 tanks in frontal projection.
Another advantage of the Leopard 1 is not only its high reverse speed but also its ability to accelerate in just a few seconds to either enter or exit the battlefield.
