Barely Recognizable – Ukraine Unveils its Upgraded Leopard 1 Tanks

Ukraine’s 5th Separate Armored Brigade showcased its newly upgraded Cold War-era Leopard 1A5V main battle tanks in public for the first time, marking the first public demonstration of its modernized vehicles.

Since the start of the war that was sparked by Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion, Ukraine has received almost 200 of the lightweight, 1980s-vintage Leopard 1A5 MBTs via the German-Danish-Dutch consortium.

They by far made up the bulk of Ukraine’s receipt of Western-style tanks outnumbered only by the T-64s and T-72s that Ukraine either inherited from the Soviet Union or provided by its former Warsaw Pact European allies.

Despite the large numbers of the tanks provided, the 50-year-old design proved particularly vulnerable to modern battlefield weapons and first-person view (FPV) drones, in particular.

It does have its strengths too, not least being its speed and its highly accurate British designed rifled 105mm L7 main armament. The tanks can reach speeds of up to 70 kph (44 mph) and can deliver precise hits at ranges of up to 4 kilometers (2.5 miles).

The Ukrainian upgrades have gone a long way towards overcoming the existing vulnerabilities to produce a tank that bears comparison with the best MBT Kyiv has at its disposal.

These Leopards have been fitted with additional armor and protective screens to counter modern anti-tank guided weapons and the ubiquitous Russian FPV drones that infest the Ukrainian battlefield.

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These enhancements include explosive reactive armor (ERA), covering the entire frontal projection of the vehicle, including the lower frontal plate, turret, and about 75 percent of the side hull ,with particular additional protection given to the especially vulnerable turret-hull intersection.

Another key element of the upgrade is the provision of comprehensive foldable, mesh screening “hoods” designed to reduce the effectiveness of enemy drones which can rapidly be erected during combat.

Members of the armored brigade had nothing but good things to say about their “new” Leopard 1 tanks. “An ideal machine for war. An ideal machine for destroying the enemy,” one trooper remarked.

The Ukrainian tankers highlighted the tank’s EMES-18 fire control system, based on the more modern Leopard 2’s EMES-15 sight. This includes a night sight, which allows effective operation at its full range during nighttime, a range that greater than most Russian tanks many of which are equipped with inferior Soviet-era sights.

Another strength is the armor-piercing capabilities of the 105-mm armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) ammunition that is able to overmatch the conventional frontal protection of Russia’s T-72, T-80, and T-90 tanks.

However, one challenge still remains is the continued provision of ammunition for the tank’s L7 105mm rifled main gun although it is still widely used in Israel, South Korea, South Africa, and Argentina with the ammunition used by the US M1128 Stryker MGS compatible with the L7 gun.

The Ukrainian experience is that this more than 60-year-old design still has the ability to positively influence the outcome for Ukraine on the battlefield.