![]() ![]() The Leopard 1A5-a 1980s upgrade of a 1960s tank-is available in much greater numbers than the newer Leopard 2 is. ERA likewise could significantly improve the survivability of the tank that’s set to become Ukraine’s most numerous Western-supplied tank: the German Leopard 1A5. Kontakt ERA doesn’t quite turn a Leopard 2A4 into a Leopard 2A6, but it helps. The A4s lack the latest composite armor that protects the 21 newer Leopard 2A6s Ukraine also has received. It’s not for no reason that the Ukrainian army steadily has been rotating through workshops the 40 or so German-made Leopard 2A4 tanks Kyiv’s allies have pledged to the war effort. ![]() A thick layer of ERA-the Soviet-style Kontakt armor is a favorite in Ukraine-can double the effective protection on certain parts of, say, a T-64 or T-72 tank. ![]() The possible role Israeli-made ERA played in the M-55S’s survival reminds us why the Ukrainians are so fond of the welded-on armor blocks. Ukrainian technicians are famous for repairing even badly-damaged vehicles-and salvaging major components from those vehicles that are too far gone for economical repair.Īll that is to say, it’s too soon to add that or any M-55S to the list- 363 entries and growing-of tanks the Ukrainian armed forces totally have written off in the 17 months since Russia widened its war on Ukraine. Expect the Ukrainians to either repair the M-55S or pop off its turret and use the intact hull as the basis for an engineering vehicle or something. ![]()
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