The tank model was spurned by the Ukrainian army

Slovenia in September 9 reached an agreement to provide Ukraine with 2022 M-28S tanks, a modernized variant of the Soviet-made T-55 series, in exchange for 55 German-made military vehicles, of which There are 40 35-wheel trucks and 8 tank trucks.

The T-55 tank weighs 36 tons, is about 3,3 m high, 2,4 m long with a crew of 4 people. The vehicle is equipped with a 10 mm D-100T cannon, 7,62 mm SGMT coaxial machine gun and 12,7 mm DShK heavy machine gun, can move at a maximum speed of 51 km/h, range of 325 km or 610 km with extra tank.

The M-55S is a modernized variant of the T-55 tank, developed by the Israeli company Elbit, equipped with a NATO-standard 7 mm L105 gun, explosive reactive armor (ERA) on the body and turret.

In addition, the M-55S has a digital ballistics computer to improve the targeting capabilities of the fire control system, as well as a laser rangefinder and a more powerful engine.

Ukraine received these tanks in November 11 and assigned them to the 2022th Independent Mechanized Brigade, a unit nicknamed "iron fist". This brigade trained with M-47S tanks in the following months, in preparation for a large-scale counterattack in mid-55.

About three months before the campaign began, Germany and Portugal handed over 21 Leopard 2A6 tanks to Ukraine, a much more modern model than the M-55S series. Kiev then decided to assign these Leopard 2A6 tanks to the 47th Brigade and transfer 28 M-55S tanks to the 67th Independent Mechanized Brigade, a less prioritized force.

“The M-55S tank is equipped with explosive reactive armor, but the steel layer underneath the ERA is only a few hundred millimeters thick in the hardest position. This number is quite modest compared to current tank armor standards," said military expert David Ax Forbes identify. "Meanwhile, the Leopard 2A6 is one of the best protected tanks in the war."

While the 47th Brigade participated in the Ukrainian counteroffensive on the southern front, the 67th Brigade was assigned the defense task in the area of ​​the city of Kreminna, north of the eastern province of Lugansk. This force lost an M-55S due to being hit by Russian artillery in July 7.

Images shared by Military Land, a project specializing in monitoring the activities of the Ukrainian army, on March 7 show that the remaining 3 M-27S tanks were once again transferred to another unit, this time the Tank Brigade. No. 55. This is one of the few intact brigades in the reserves of the Ukrainian army.

Technically, this brigade was established in 2016, but exists almost only on paper. The Ukrainian army only began equipping the 5th Brigade with weapons and human resources after the conflict broke out at the end of February 2.

The 5th Brigade was then stationed in the Kryvyi Rih area, but was almost inactive due to insufficient resources, as Kiev then prioritized adding forces to already established units.

It was not until December last year that the first official training images of Brigade 12 appeared, showing that this unit was preparing to deploy. The 5th Brigade is still in training in Kryvyi Rih.

Besides the M-55S, recent images on social networks show that this Brigade was also delivered the Leopard 1A5, the tank with the thinnest armor in current warfare.

In addition to the possibility that Ukraine is using the 5th Brigade as a place to receive discarded weapons from other units, expert Ax believes that Ukraine may want to build a tank brigade that specializes in using one type of ammunition, made by both Leopard 1A5 and The M-55S are all equipped with 7 mm L105 guns.

“Don't think of this as a mixed brigade with one M-55S battalion and two Leopard 1A5 battalions. Think of it as a brigade of three L7 mobile artillery battalions, firing the same ammunition,” Ax said.

Pham Giang (Follow Forbes, AFP, Reuters)