Video shows rare sighting of Ukrainian Stridsvagn 122 tank in action
A video has surfaced online showing a Stridsvagn 122 tank in service with the Ukrainian army. Such recordings have become rare. As part of Western support, the Ukrainian defenders received ten of these machines, but most were lost in clashes with Russian forces. We detail the performance and equipment of the Stridsvagn 122.
5:31 PM EDT, May 28, 2024
According to many Ukrainian soldiers and numerous experts, the Stridsvagn 122 is considered "military gold." Jarosław Wolski, a defense analyst, called the Stridsvagn 122 "the best and most well-armored tanks that Ukraine has. "
Stridsvagn 122: What kind of tank is this?
The Stridsvagn 122 is a Swedish tank that evolved as a deep modernization of the German Leopard 2A5. The Scandinavians implemented several significant structural changes, resulting in the Stridsvagn 122 differing considerably from its predecessor.
It features reinforced roof and hull sides, as well as more durable fuel tanks, making it significantly more resilient. However, the war in Ukraine has shown that it is not indestructible. Data collected by the authors of the Oryx blog, who document equipment losses in the conflict, indicate that out of the ten Stridsvagn 122 tanks received, the Ukrainian army currently uses only three.
A certain consolation is that, of the seven Stridsvagn 122 units hit by Russian forces, probably only one was completely destroyed. The others are damaged, possibly to a degree that allows for repairs, but this has not yet been verified as the tanks were abandoned in the so-called "no man's land" (on the border of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions), a continuous combat zone preventing the safe evacuation of damaged machines.
The main armament consists of a smoothbore L/44 cannon with a 120 mm caliber. The tank is powered by a 1500 HP engine and offers two 7.62 mm machine guns and an 80.5 mm smoke grenade launcher as additional armament. These elements are shared with the Leopard 2A5. However, it has a more advanced fire control system by the Swedish company Celsius and a Tank Command and Control System (TCCS).
How many tanks has Ukraine lost?
Since the beginning of the ongoing war, Ukraine has lost a total of about 950 tanks. The losses for the Russians in this type of vehicle are significantly greater, but their industry can continuously deliver more tanks to the front than Ukraine and its allies combined.
