Ukraine fortifies Leopard 2A6 tanks against rising threats

The German Leopards are the most numerous NATO tanks in Ukraine. The Leopard 2A6 is the latest variant and Ukraine's newest NATO tank overall. It was produced in the early 21st century to counter the Russian T-90 series tanks.

Germany and Portugal delivered 18 Leopard 2A6 tanks to Ukraine, but only a few still participated in combat. The Russians have eliminated as many as 13 of these tanks, with seven being destroyed and the rest damaged or abandoned by evacuating Ukrainians. To protect the remaining units, Ukrainians are opting for modifications.

Although the Leopard 2A6 is much more durable than older variants of this German tank, the realities of the war in Ukraine have led to the installation of additional protections.

Ukrainians primarily use slat armor, mounted up to 1.6 feet from the tank's main armor. Although relatively lightweight, this armor increases protection against simple anti-tank grenades (e.g., from RPG-7 launchers).

Other modifications introduced by Ukrainians include mesh designed to protect against kamikaze drones, which Russians heavily use, and Kontakt-1 reactive armor blocks that protect against anti-tank missiles.

The main armament of the Leopard 2A6 tank is a Rheinmetall smoothbore gun with a caliber of 120 mm L/55. Ukrainian soldiers have repeatedly noted that, in conjunction with a modern and effective fire control system, it offers excellent capabilities and allows them to engage targets at distances of up to 2.5 miles. Additional armament in this tank includes two machine guns with a caliber of 7.62 mm.