Ukraine Receives 88 A5DK-Variant Leopard 1 Tanks
6- 5.11.2024, 12:29
- 7,106
Details of the deliveries have become known.
In the first half of October, footage of Leopard 1A5DK tanks being transported on low-frame platforms appeared online. The destination of these tanks is probably Ukraine, and the date of the video with the hardware indicates that the tanks have already been delivered to their destination. This was reported on November 5 by the columnist of the Polish Defence24 publication Adam Swierkowski.
The piece said that since the start of co-operation between Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands in terms of military assistance to Ukraine, Kyiv has received no less than 88 tanks of this model. Despite the complicated supply process, it has recently stabilised, allowing regular dispatch of Leopard 1A5DKs to the front.
‘The publication of the video took place in the first half of October, so presumably the vehicles are already with their intended user. It is possible that this is one of the last deliveries of Leopard 1A5s, the list of which is updated with a delay of several weeks,’ Swierkowski writes.
The Leopard 1A5DK is a modernised version of the Leopard 1A5, which entered Danish service in the 1990s. The main differences are the reinforced armour of the original turret.
— IgorGirkin (@GirkinGirkin) October 10, 2024
Technical characteristics of the tank:
main armament - 105 mm L7A3 rifled gun with 52-calibre barrel, twin 7.62 mm MG3 machine gun;
ammunition - 60 rounds (42 in the hull, 18 in the turret);
engine - 10-cylinder MTU MB 838 CaM 500 with an output of 830 hp;
transmission - ZF 4 hp 250 with four forward and two reverse gears;
maximum speed - up to 65 km/h.
Range - up to 600 kilometres on roads and up to 450 kilometres off-road.
These tanks have been in use in Denmark since 1993, and since 2005 have been replaced by the Leopard 2A5DK. However, it is now Ukraine that is their only active user. Some of the Leopard 1A5DK tanks delivered to Ukraine are additionally equipped with Contact-1 dynamic protection or Knife DM modules, which increases their combat capabilities in conflict conditions.