Ukrainian tank tactics: Old Leopards charge in Donetsk duel
The Ukrainians are fiercely defending themselves in the Donetsk region despite a shortage of personnel and the significant numerical advantage of the Russians. One of their defense strategies involves risky armored charges against groups of Russians. We explore the background of this tactic, even employed by older tanks like the Leopard 1A5.
In the Donetsk region, Ukrainians face enormous challenges due to a shortage of soldiers. Many new units with low morale are deployed there, and the frequently changing command adds to the chaos. Veteran units often have to step in to support struggling new formations.
Given the low prevalence of handheld anti-tank weapons among Russian infantry, Ukrainian tank charges coordinated by drones are proving effective. Tanks are often fitted with jammers to reduce the effectiveness of conventional FPV drones (excluding fiber-optic models). The surprising assault by the Leopard 1A5, codenamed "Marwell," from the 5th Heavy Mechanized Brigade exemplifies this approach.
Leopard 1A5: an old armored sniper with minimal armor protection
The Leopard 1A5 tanks provided to Ukraine are upgrades from the 1990s of a design originating in the 1960s. A significant advantage of this modification is the EMES 18 fire control system, an evolution of the EMES 15 system used in the early Leopard 2 models.
This system features a thermal imaging sight for the gunner and a ballistic computer, enhancing target detection and improving firing accuracy. It also facilitates detecting and identifying targets from a few miles away.
This capability allows for effective use of the 105 mm rifled gun, which, when loaded with modern anti-tank ammunition, poses a threat to many Russian tanks currently in use. High-explosive or canister ammunition is effective against light fortifications and infantry.
However, it's important to note that the Leopard 1 tank's protection is limited, primarily shielding the crew from artillery shrapnel and automatic gunfire. The armor is only up to about 3 inches of reinforced steel with Lexan (a polycarbonate variant) panels, making it comparatively thin by armor standards. Ukrainians have since added Contact-1 and/or "Knife" reactive armor blocks, which can enhance resistance to PG-7VL grenades from RPG-7 grenade launchers often mounted on FPV drones.
Nonetheless, unlike the T-72 or T-64, from which it is significantly less armored, the Leopard 1A5 is not ideal for such assaults. However, in some cases, it might have been the only available machine to support, for instance, encircled Ukrainian infantry, as seen in the recent charge of the T-64 tank.
