Rheinmetall presents "KF51-Panther": Serious competition for Putin's super tank?
Created: 06/15/2022, 05:38
By: Bedrettin Bölükbasi
Rheinmetall's new "KF51 Panther" tank is said to be a "game changer for the battlefields of the future".
© Screenshot/Twitter/@RheinmetallAG
The armaments group Rheinmetall presented its new tank "KF51-Panther" in the middle of the Ukraine war.
The Panther is said to be a "game changer".
Munich — In battles between Russian and Ukrainian troops in the Ukraine conflict, tanks play a central role alongside artillery and rockets, especially for the attacking army of Russian ruler Vladimir Putin.
His troops try to advance with the firepower of their tanks.
The Ukrainian defenders, on the other hand, are trying with all their might to eliminate the Russian tanks.
The destruction of heavy tanks in Ukraine by Javelin anti-tank missiles, which can be fired from the shoulder, and Bayraktar drones, which can be conveniently controlled from a control center using a joystick, have the military experts questioning whether tanks in today's environment of military developments have actually become superfluous.
The new "KF51-Panther" tank from the German defense company Rheinmetall, which was recently unveiled, is now set to be a "game changer" and prove that tanks are still useful.
In the middle of the Ukraine war: Rheinmetall presents the KF51-Panther - high-tech tank with high mobility and firepower
Artillery strikes, air strikes, long-range missiles, cruise missiles - with all these weapons it is possible to inflict large losses on the enemy.
However, if you want to take over an area and also hold it in your hand, the infantry comes into play.
For them, tanks are of great importance.
Of course, tanks face great threats, as the Ukraine war has shown.
Nevertheless, their role should not be underestimated.
They remain a part of modern warfare.
With the Leopard 2 successor "Panther", which was presented for the first time at the Eurosatory armaments fair in Paris, Rheinmetall now wants to have created a more mobile tank that also has more firepower than its predecessor with upgraded armament.
Details on the "KF51 Panther":
Weight:
59 tons
Range:
500 kilometers
Operation:
Designed for a three-man crew - commander and gunner in the turret and driver in the chassis, fourth operator position for a weapons and subsystems specialist or for senior personnel such as the company commander or battalion commander in the chassis
Main armament:
The "Rheinmetall Future Gun System" consisting of a 130 millimeter smoothbore cannon with an automatic loader, which is 50 percent more effective than the 120 millimeter system of its predecessor
Supplement to the main armament:
12.7 mm coaxial machine gun
Other Armaments:
Pulse Ammo (WE), Explosive Ammo (Airblast Point), HERO 120 Loitering Ammo, and Practice Ammo
Protection systems:
Comprehensive protection concept with passive, reactive and active technologies including KE protection and Top Attack Protection System (TAPS), ROSY rapid smoke protection system, pre-shot detection capability
Rheinmetall: KF51 should set new standards - further versions are already planned
Rheinmetall describes the Panther as one of the "game changers for the battlefields of the future".
"The battle tank concept sets new standards in all areas - effectiveness, protection, reconnaissance capability, networking and mobility," says the group.
The armament aims to achieve a higher impact compared to its predecessor.
The aim is to ensure protection against hostile threats such as incoming projectiles with several concepts and systems.
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Rheinmetall is already promising a more advanced version of the new tank.
In the future, "variants of the KF51 Panther with unmanned towers or completely remote-controlled vehicles" are planned, the company said in a statement.
"In the near future there will be further innovations that will enable environmentally friendly use in peacetime and further optimization in terms of automation and effectiveness," it was also emphasized.
Ukraine war: Rheinmetall's KF51 as a threat to Putin's Armata?
- Russia struggles with tank problems
The presentation of the new Rheinmetall tank is of significant importance in view of the war in Ukraine.
According to
Business Insider
, the first countries from Eastern Europe are already (as of June 14) interested in the new KF51 Panther.
These are countries that also feel threatened by Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine and an increasingly aggressive stance by the Kremlin.
Could the new German tank in service with these countries compete with the Russian T-14 Armata super tank?
The information provided by Rheinmetall on the concept of the tank and the equipment of the KF51 shows that the Russian Armata can definitely be surpassed.
First of all, the Russian tank only allows a caliber of 125 millimeters.
In addition, Rheinmetall claims to have redesigned the KF51 platform from scratch.
"The KF51 Panther is easily upgradeable to include the latest threat-ready capabilities and features," the company said.
For the Armata, on the other hand, things are looking bleak due to Western sanctions causing tank resupply problems.
Military expert Gustav Gressel from the European Council on Foreign Relations underscored to
Der Spiegel
that Russia is struggling with serial production of the tank.
Therefore, it is doubtful whether Russia can maintain the tank's performance in the long term.
(bb)
