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“Most modern main battle tank” for Ukraine? What the Panther can do compared to the Abrams

2023-02-19T11:06:45.728Z


After the delivery of Leopard tanks, Rheinmetall is apparently already preparing the next step in supporting Ukraine.


After the delivery of Leopard tanks, Rheinmetall is apparently already preparing the next step in supporting Ukraine.

Munich – Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin's war of aggression in Ukraine has been going on for almost a year.

In recent weeks, military aid to Kiev from Western countries has been accelerating.

After long discussions, Berlin announced the delivery of Leopard main battle tanks to the Ukrainian military in January.

After Leopard now also Panther for Ukraine?

Rheinmetall boss makes proposal

Now Rheinmetall already wants to take the next step: In an interview with the

Handelsblatt

, Rheinmetall boss Armin Papperger suggested delivering the KF51-Panther tank, which was presented in June 2022, to Ukraine.

Talks about this are already underway.

First deliveries are possible within 15 to 18 months.

He spoke of the "modern battle tank".

The tank, which can accommodate a crew of three, has powerful weapons and strong protection systems.

Based on the fuselage of the Leopard 2 successor, the US science magazine

Popular Mechanics

spoke of "newer, thicker armor on the front and sides".

Details on the "KF51 Panther":

  • Range:

    500 kilometers

  • Drive/motor:

    1,100 kilowatts and 1,500 hp

  • Weight:

    59 tons

  • Operation:

    Designed for a three-man crew - commander and gunner in the turret and driver in the chassis, fourth operator station 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

Ukraine war: Rheinmetall boss speaks of possible Panther delivery to Ukraine

Should the Panther be delivered and should the Ukraine war still be going on until then, the German "super tank" would be used on the battlefield together with the American Abrams tanks.

Washington will supply Kiev with 31 M1A2 Abrams.

How would the German tank fare against the American?

In fact, the latest development from Rheinmetall does bring advantages.

While the Panther has a 130mm smoothbore cannon and 360-degree sensors, the Abrams tanks only have 120mm cannons and weaker sensors, as the American magazine Newsweek

reported

.

In addition, the Panther can also launch drones.

At 59 tons, the Panther is also superior to the Abrams, which weighs around 70 tons.

"I'm not sure the Panther can outperform the latest Abrams models," Jordan Cohen of US think tank Cato Institute told

Newsweek

.

At the same time, however, he was "skeptical" that the USA would also deliver the latest Abrams v4 modification, which is similar in strength to the Panther.

"So this is a very clear signal of what Germany wants to deliver to Ukraine if the war lasts longer than 12 to 18 months," Cohen said.

A Year of Ukraine War: The Origins of the Conflict with Russia

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"Game changer for the battlefields of the future": Eastern European countries are showing interest in the Panther

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.

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.

Not only the Ukraine is interested in the tank, but also the first countries from Eastern Europe, as

Business Insider

reported shortly after the presentation by Rheinmetall.

These are countries that also feel threatened by Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine and an increasingly aggressive stance by the Kremlin.

(bb)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-02-19

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