Ukraine's innovative upgrades: Leopard 1A5DK as a lifeline on the battlefield

Ukraine will receive over 160 Leopard 1A5 tanks from diverse European sources. One major supplier of these tanks is Denmark, which even sourced units from armored museums for the training of Ukrainian crews.

However, the tanks delivered to Ukraine needed some repair work after restoration, a task which was performed on-site or in Poland. Recently, one of the Leopard 1A5DK tanks was spotted in the Kharkiv region.

Even though the Leopard 1 tanks originated from the 1960s, these units have undergone numerous modernizations for several decades. The latest of these is the A5 version, which cropped up in the 1990s.

This variant of the tank included several upgrades, such as a new fire control system, EMES 18, largely influenced by the EMES 15 system used in the first versions of Leopard 2 tanks. This unit also includes advanced features like a thermal imaging sight for the gunner and a ballistics computer, adding substantial value to this outdated tank. Notably, the Danish version also comes with an improved fire extinguishing system, and its welded turret is more sturdy than the cast one.

These enhancements will make Leopard 1A5s more efficient than other tanks without advanced night vision or thermal imaging, such as T-54/55, T-62, and the oldest versions of T-72. This is particularly important as detecting the enemy first and taking them down is a matter of life or death, considering that Leopard 1A5 does not have strong enough armor that can withstand more than fragmentation artillery or automatic guns.

However, if the Leopard 1A5DK can fire the first accurate shot from its 4.13-inch rifled gun loaded with modern ammunition, it may emerge victorious from such encounters. Most likely, the Ukrainians will utilize these machines in supporting roles for more heavily armored vehicles like T-64 tanks or PT-91 Twardy.