This is the tank sent from Belgium to stop Putin in Ukraine | Leopard 1 analysis

50 German-made former Belgian army tanks have been bought from a private dealer to be sent to Ukraine.

@thetankmuseum's David Willey analyses the Leopard 1 and explains how it stacks up against Russia's T-72 for #timesradio 's Frontline.
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[deciBit]

Loved it. Been following the @thetankmuseum for years. Great videos about the engineering, history and capabilities of tanks of all types.

[BladeRunner_]

They found a way to avoid Recycling costs..😅

[IMGreg..]

Given that tank on tank battles are very uncommon the L1 still makes an effective mobile gun platform for assaults on trenches, buildings, for providing infantry support in urban fighting and with a dozer blade can remove dragon teeth obstructions.

50 were purchased to make 30 useful L1 tanks, this number needs to be 3 times that as soon as possible to give Ukraine 93 tanks or 3 tank brigade.

The Dutch have 200 that that can be serviced for use and could make 120+ useful tanks for Ukraine.

The will to supply modern tanks will dry up quickly as they get consumed in battle, but no one will complain about L1 losses as they're seen as dead surplus.

[tonupharry]

I though the cope cage was a roof rack for carrying away toilets and washing machines 🤔

[madelief]

I was in 1982 in W Germany, in the Dutch army, as a gunner on this Leo 1. Not much has changed! You can improve the optics, and yes, the tank is fast and has a good gun. But the front in Ukraine is static at the moment. Also there are vast fields whithout any cover. That makes it an easy target. Also for street fighting it is vulnereble. I would not be happy to go to war now, with this tank, in this version.

[willjw]

Really enjoying the work done by the tank museum in educating people on the vehicles and tactics during this conflict.

[gijsv]

I did meet David some years ago in the Netherlands. Driving a Sherman he participated in the route from Normandy to Nijmegen

[joelmccoy]

Diesel for Tanks in the 60s and seventies meant a tank could refuel from anyone's heating oil tanks in the cellar of their houses which was a good feature to have West of the Fulda gap.

[evaavfc]

It is good that Germany's Rheinmetal is refurbishing the Leo 1s back to combat readiness. They built them and have everything needed to do a thorough job.

[derekbaker]

Sorry for raining on everyone's parade, but there needs to be a dose of reality: While receiving Leopard I tanks is better than a kick in the head, the fact is that the Leopard I is a 50 year old design & isn't remotely close to being a decisive addition to Ukraine's arsenal. That 105mm gun is not capable of out-ranging or defeating the upgraded T72s & T80s that form the backbone of Russian formations in areas where fighting is most intense. Furthermore, the armour on the Leopard I will be totally inadequate against Russia tank shells, it won't stand up against some of the autocannons the Russians put on their IFVs, and it may even be vulnerable to shrapnel from nearby high-explosive artillery rounds. Last, the Leopard I's armour offers no protection to the Kornets and other anti-tank weaponry operated by Russian infantry. So, much like is the case with the wheeled AMX10 light tanks provided by France (also a long since retired 1970s design), it appears that even a large number of Leopard I tanks will have very limited value in the offensive operations which Ukraine (and observers in 'the west') are prioritizing.

While I do see the Leopard I tanks as having some value as mobile, somewhat protected artillery...and I guess they could add more firepower against Russian IFVs in a defensive role....their addition to Ukraine's tank force will do little to mitigate the crucial needs that Ukraine continues to have for
(a) more modern MBTs (Leopard II, Challenger II, and Abrams 1A2),
(b) a greater number of somewhat modern IFVs & APCs (Bradley, Marder, Stryker, etc.),
(c) additional mobile artillery (Krab, Paladin, etc.),
(d) mobile air defence...and most of all,
(e) a sufficient number of long-range ATACMS & F-16s to provide Ukraine with the ability to hit a large number of targets deep behind Russian lines AND establish - at minimum - local air superiority over the battlefield (as NATO doctrine demands...)

As much as I wish it were otherwise, 'the west' is not providing the weaponry Ukraine desperately needs to decisively defeat the brutal Russian war machine & liberate all of sovereign Ukraine as quickly as possible!😕

[andersestes]

Thanks for supporting Ukraine, Germany 🇩🇪

[Reticulosis]

It delights me to no end that this man who is educated and well versed had to give in and call it a “cope cage” because the internet and memes were so strong that the name stuck 😂

[Namtov]

Two of my favorite channels together 😊

[nimay]

When Russia fielded T-55s/T-64s they laughed, but Leo 1 is equal to it. Armor can only protect up to 20mm cannon. Lancets gonna have a field day with these tanks.

[vmcauley]

Answer - the main feature of the Leopard is it cooks off real what a joke German hubris broken in a few days by Russian just like before ...

[stewlew]

Thank you Germany for buying these tanks from a belgian collector. Thank you rheinmetall for upgrading these to something capable of being an asset in the war

[mclukaslol]

QUICK NOTE: THIS TANK IS NOT DESIGNED FOR MODERN WARFARE, IT CANNOT WITHSTAND MODERN MINES OR PROJECTILES

[GundamReviver]

I never expected someone whom I concider "official" when it comes to tank to utter the words cope cage 😂

[galesams]

i serve in 4th inf div. vietnam pleiku . M-48 52 ton had a very good 90mm gun.

[ramal]

The idea of the Leopard 1 is to make one a reliable tank, two easy to maintain, three cheap and lastly can be produced en masse, they learned from WWII experience that (although it's mostly because of lack of engine power and poor transmission) that their tanks had trouble being sent and maintained into and in the front. also the Leopard 1 is lightly armored, but it can hit hard with its L7 gun, hence it was cheap and easy to manufacture. The idea is also with its cheap and simple design that they would make thousands of these tanks in short time to try to counter the superior number of the Soviet tanks.