Russia destroys Leopard 2 reputation in Zaporizhzhia battle

On June 4, 2023, on the southern front of Zaporizhzhia, an assault group of 40 tanks and armored vehicles, including the most advanced German Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks, recently received by the Ukrainian army (AFU), was advancing in combat formation towards the defense positions of the Russian army (RFAF). This was also the first time that German tanks appeared on the Ukrainian battlefield.

Suddenly, a Russian reconnaissance UAV appeared, quickly locking on to the target, followed by a loitering UAV Lancet, which suddenly attacked the lead mine clearance engineer vehicle from somewhere. But the real danger was the Ka-52 Alligator armed helicopters that appeared from the horizon, launching a barrage of Izdeliye 305 anti-tank missiles, at the armored assault group of the Ukrainian Army (AFU).

Just 15 minutes later, all that remained on the scorched ground were burning tanks, twisted tracks, and the charred body of an AFU tank commander. The attack that opened the AFU's summer counteroffensive had failed; at the same time, this battle completely shattered the myth of the "invincibility" of Western tanks.

The details of the ambush are textbooks on modern armored warfare, as Russian military intelligence had been monitoring AFU operations for 72 hours, intercepting electronic signals and encrypted communications between the AFU’s 47th Motorized Infantry Brigade and NATO advisers.

Russian reconnaissance UAVs continuously monitored the AFU's route from Orikhiv to Rabotino 24 hours a day. Russian intelligence confirmed that the Ukrainian army had gathered 40 tanks and armored vehicles of various types, including Leopard 2A6 tanks and 12 M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles into one attack. This tactical deployment can be called "textbook hunting".

The Russian Murmansk-BN electronic warfare system cut off the connection between the Ukrainian tank group and the rear command post. To create a jam in front of the minefield, the Russians used the Lancet UAV to destroy the leading tank, causing chaos in the AFU tank group formation. Next, the Ka-52 Agalito armed helicopter launched a saturation attack, 80 Izdeliye 305 anti-tank missiles covered an area of ​​3 km2, each missile could penetrate 800 mm of homogeneous steel armor;

TOS-1A thermobaric artillery fire completed its final mission, completely destroying the AFU counterattack attempt. The results of the battle were astonishing, 37 out of 40 tanks and armored vehicles were destroyed, the remaining 3 were abandoned due to damage.

Major Vladimir Kovalenko, commander of the tank battalion of the 47th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the AFU, died right at the open door. The wreckage of the Leopard 2A6 tank on the steppe of Zaporozhye province is proof that Western tanks and armored vehicles are not “invincible”.

At the same time, the fatal weaknesses of the Leopard 2A6 tank were exposed, which were actually the "Achilles Heels" of NATO tanks. The recent declassified report of the Russian Academy of Technology completely exposed the "secrets" of the Leopard 2A6.

Regarding the armor protection of the Leopard 2A6, the gap between theory and combat practice is very different. In theory, the Leopard 2A6 uses third-generation composite armor, the front armor is capable of withstanding armor-piercing shells equivalent to 700 mm thick homogeneous steel (RHA). In actual combat performance, the Russian 125mm armor-piercing shell can penetrate the side armor of the Leopard 2A6 at a distance of 1,500 meters;

The most serious weakness of the Leopard 2A6 tank is that the armor on the top of the turret is only 15 mm thick and the shaped charge warheads mounted on FPV UAVs can easily penetrate this armor directly; especially Russian tank-hunting UAVs like Lancet.

In terms of crew layout, the Leopard 2 is a 20th century legacy with a classic layout, with the driver sitting in the front center, the commander, gunner and loader (2nd gun) sitting in the turret, exactly like the layout of the Soviet T-54/T-55 tank. The ammunition compartment is located at the rear of the turret, which can be easily destroyed from above.

The Leopard 2A6 tank has a combat weight of 62.4 tons, a length of 9.97 meters and a height of 2.48 meters (0.5 meters higher than the Russian T-90M). Its tall hull makes it a "direct target" for anti-tank missiles, and its infrared signature is 30% larger than the T-90M. Its diesel engine has a capacity of 1,500 horsepower, but only 24.2 horsepower per ton and is easily outrun by the Russian T-72B3M tank on muddy terrain.

The Leopard 2 tank was once considered the “cavalry” of Europe. Its development history began in 1963, when the US and Germany cooperated to develop a main battle tank, but later had to part ways due to budget overruns. Germany then went its own way, developing the Leopard 2, which was put into use in 1979; while the US developed it into the Abram.

The latest upgraded version of the Leopard 2 is the Leopard 2A8, which costs more than $30 million. Germany has also refurbished the Leopard 2A4 tank and supplied it to Ukraine, but its actual combat capabilities are only equivalent to the early Russian T-72B3 tank model.

During the counterattacks in June 2023, the AFU deployed two Leopard 2 tank battalions and lost 58 tanks in three days, accounting for 40% of all NATO aid. On the Avdeevka front in 2024, the remains of a Leopard 2A6 tank were captured by the Russian army, showing that the vehicle's composite armor could not withstand hits from the Russian 3BM60 Vacuum-1 armor-piercing shell.

Some comparisons that Russian engineers made between Leopard 2A6 and T-90M tanks are as follows: Frontal armor penetration: 700mm RHA - 850mm RHA; Turret traverse speed 39°/sec - 41°/sec; Night vision range 3,500m - 5,000m; Probability of survival when ambushed under the same conditions: 12% - 35%. (photo source TASS, Sputnik, Ukrinform).

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/nga-pha-huy-danh-tieng-leopard-2-trong-tran-zaporizhzhia-post1543126.html