Panther Tank Ukraine – Some background: Iran has given Russia hundreds of drones to use in its war in Ukraine, many of which have targeted Ukraine’s power grid and energy facilities, leaving civilians without heat, electricity or running water during the freezing winter months.
Last month, the Institute for the Study of War found that Russian forces had become increasingly reliant on the drones – so much so that their stockpile of the drones is already running low, just months after Iran began sending them.
Panther Tank Ukraine
“The conceptual Abrams‘ X ‘would be the equivalent, though there is no current plan to produce that Abrams upgrade… Post-war Ukraine will need to standardize its equipment since it now has small numbers of many NATO systems, “Cancian said.
“Panther — a new, complex, and expensive system — does not fit well with such a rationalization. Better to standardize around the latest version of the Leopard. ” The war in Ukraine has already led to a flurry of tank transfers and deliveries around Europe, as countries provide Kyiv with surplus armor from their own stocks.
While Germany has been notably slow off the mark when it comes to delivering secondhand MBTs to Ukraine, the reconfiguration of tank fleets elsewhere in Europe could mean that they require back-filling. For instance, the Czech Republic is receiving 15 surplus Leopard 2A4 tanks from Germany to replace T-72s that it donated to Ukraine, and it might follow up with orders for 50 additional Leopard 2A7 + tanks.
Potentially, other countries will also take the opportunity to buy new tanks, with the Panther being one possible candidate. “From a Ukrainian perspective I think it’s a good thing,” Williams said. “It is going to be a while before they start getting them, but it does allow the Ukrainians to be more thoughtful of how they use the current tanks … If you know where you’re going to be getting your next meal from,
it helps with other things. ” Other armament is planned to include a 12.7mm coaxial machine gun and an optional remote-controlled weapon station. There will also be provisions for launchers for HERO 120 loitering ammunition, drones, and undisclosed missiles, perhaps of a type that would provide localized air defense since there is no mention, so far, of an anti-aircraft machine gun.
Although it would take 15 to 18 months for delivery if the German government approves the export, arms experts told Newsweek that the announcement will further help galvanize Western allies while allowing the Ukrainian military to plan accordingly based on its present stock.
If KF51 is built to what has been advertised it would be quite the beast. The 130mm gun is unmatched by anything currently fielded though it’s arguably overkill. The Ukrainians have shown that even the T-90M, Russia’s most advanced MBT, is hardly invincible and the US Army, who have the deepest pockets of all armies, has shown little interest in moving to a 130mm gun.
The more interesting features of the KF51 are its network-centric warfare features. Despite having an autoloader (which is no longer optional due to the massive 130mm cartridge) the KF51 retains space for a 4th crew member.
The 4th member acts as a sort of subsystems specialist, managing a variety of robotic combat vehicles or doing higher level command and control while the commander focuses on the vehicle itself. Notably, the Panther is capable of carrying HERO 120 loitering munitions onboard, giving an organic ISR / strike capability.
The inclusion of HERO and the 4th member greatly increase internal volume that needs to be armored resulting in a massive and vulnerable turret. While little is known about the US ’next generation MBT program it’s clear they’re moving in the opposite direction, pursing a crew perhaps as low as 2 and moving everyone into the hull.
I hear ya Sir OFP too many ifs and not enough here it is.There has got to be a better way to coordinate who’s doing what and speed up the when with urgency. Also the how and where with logistics and maintenance.
An internal problem I’ve heard of (not sure how wide spread) Is service men and women being put in units that don’t utilize their skills. Such as a pilot in the infantry, or a tanker in recon.
I know it’s not always possible but figure the top 3 desired placements depending on experience should be more considered. Panther tanks are “bigger and have a little more punch and longer range,” he said, adding that the technological and industrial jump from the Leopard to the Panther tanks is bigger than the one between the Abrams and Panther.
An unexploded warhead from an Iranian Shahed-131 drone found in the Southern Ukrainian region of Odesa in October 2022 was examined last month by the UK-based investigative organization Conflict Armament Research, along with the Ukrainian military.
CAR provided its findings first to CNN. “Fundamentally, these actions of countries will not change the outcome of the conflict and will not change the trajectory that our country is following in terms of achieving its goals within the framework of the special military operation.”
“From a Ukrainian perspective, I think it’s a good thing,” Williams said. “It is going to be a while before they start getting them, but it does allow the Ukrainians to be more thoughtful of how they use the current tanks… If you know where you’re going to be getting your next meal from, it helps
with other things. ” The meeting between the two leaders came after German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in a news conference that the first battalion of Leopard 2 tanks delivered by Western allies could reach Ukraine by March or April of this year.
With that in mind, the Panther could well be Rheinmetall’s response to its dissatisfaction with the path that MGCS is taking and it’s significant that it’s not only striking out on its own but also that it has developed its new MBT so rapidly.
That should serve as a signal to both the German government and also to other countries potentially now looking to overhaul their tank fleets, with the security situation in Eastern Europe worse than it has been for many years.
While the Leopard 2 has a crew of four, this is reduced to three in the Panther (commander, gunner, and driver) aided by the introduction of an autoloader to feed ammunition to the main gun. An additional fourth crew member can be included if required, for example, an additional specialist or platoon commander.
Rheinmetall is also the maker of the Leopard battle tank, which European countries have recently agreed to send to Ukraine, with the first units expected to arrive in the spring. As with the Leopard, the provision of the Panther and the Lynx to Kyiv would have to be approved by the German government.
“The conceptual Abrams ‘X’ would be the equivalent, though there is no current plan to produce that Abrams upgrade … Post-war Ukraine will need to standardize its equipment since it now has small numbers of many NATO systems,” Cancian said.
. “Panther — a new, complex, and expensive system — does not fit well with such a rationalization. Better to standardize around the latest version of the Leopard.” “We need artillery guns, ammunitions, modern tanks, the long-range missiles and modern fighter jets,” Zelensky said during a speech at the European Council.
“We have to enhance the dynamic of our cooperation” and act “faster than the aggressor.” Jordan Cohen, policy analyst at the Cato Institute, touted the technological capabilities of the new model, notably its larger 130-millimeter cannon, ability to launch drones, top-down protection, and 360-degree sensors.
The Abrams tank has a 120-millimeter gun and weaker sensors. “I am not sure if it could really outperform the most recent Abrams models, but I am also skeptical that the U.S. is actually going to sell the v4 variant of the Abrams that has similar capabilities to the KF51 Panther,” Cohen told Newsweek.
“Therefore, this is a very clear signal of what Germany is willing to send Ukraine should the conflict last more than 12 to 18 months.” Previously, German-made Leopard 2 tanks and U.S.-made M1A2 Abrams tanks were announced to be sent to Ukraine over the next few months.
Earlier this week, Leopard tanks shipped from Canada arrived in Poland and will make their way to Ukraine. With tank warfare very much back on the agenda as the war in Ukraine rages on, Germany’s Rheinmetall company today unveiled its latest main battle tank, the KF51 Panther, armed with a huge 130mm caliber main gun.
This private-venture design is aimed as a long-term successor to the widely used Leopard 2 within the German Army but may well attract interest from other European countries looking at the future of their own armored forces as they reconfigure to face the threat of an
increasingly belligerent Russia. Although it would take 15 to 18 months for delivery if the German government approves the export, arms experts told Newsweek that the announcement will further help galvanize Western allies while allowing the Ukrainian military to plan accordingly based on its present stock.
Warheads targeting battlefield assets such as tanks or artillery pieces might be designed differently, Spleeters explained, with a frontal shaped charge that is used for more concentrated targets. The warhead examined by CAR, though, has a radial shaped charge effect, which can result in a larger area of impact.
The group’s analysts believe the warheads, which measure just under two-feet long, were hastily modified with poorly fitted layers of dozens of small metal fragments that on impact scatter across a large radius. In addition to the fragments, there are also 18 smaller “charges” around the circumference of the warhead that, when melted by the blast, can pierce armor and create a kind of “360-degree” explosive effect.
Possible UK deliveries of fighter jets to Ukraine will not change the outcome of the war, but will only “escalate and prolong it and will make it more painful” for Ukraine, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
If Rheinmetall can bring to market an MBT that offers similar firepower to the MGCS, but do so quickly, it might be able to secure both domestic orders and interest from export customers. The Leopard 2 has been a huge export success, especially in Europe, and Rheinmetall should be well placed to capitalize on that.
The Asia Pacific region, too, is another possible market for MBTs. Interestingly, however, the company appears to be aiming primarily at the German market, initially at least, perhaps with the hope that Berlin might be more receptive to an all-German replacement for its Leopard 2s.
That would clearly undermine the Franco-German MGCS. Panther tanks are “bigger and have a little more punch and longer range,” he said, adding that the technological and industrial jump from the Leopard to the Panther tanks is bigger than the one between the Abrams and Panther.
It’s notable that at least one other major defense project, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), in which France and Germany play the leading roles, is currently struggling. Recent reports suggest that the airpower system, which will include a manned fighter jet as its centerpiece, has been delayed.
Once expected to enter service in 2040, the fighter is not likely to be operational until 2050, according to Dassault CEO Éric Trappier. In the meantime, Germany has announced plans to buy F-35A stealth fighters, a move that has led to dismay among French officials.
The conflict in Ukraine has prompted a renewed discussion about the future of the tank in general. While heavy armor has played a major part in its traditional breakthrough role, the vulnerability of MBTs to various weapons has been highlighted too.
In some ways, the KF51 Panther seems to be trying to address those realities from various different angles. Overall, it should be lighter and more agile than current MBTs, carry a bigger main gun, and have the ability to provide stand-in surveillance and strike with loitering munitions.
More on the Panther battle tank: The Dusseldorf-based company introduced the Panther at a trade fair in Paris last summer, touting it as the strongest battle tank in the world. According to Rheinmetall, the Panther is still under development, but is eventually meant to replace its Leopard 2 battle tank and is “destined to be a game changer on the battlefields of the future.”
More on military support to Ukraine: On Wednesday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in a news conference that the first battalion of Leopard 2 tanks delivered by Western allies could reach Ukraine by March or April of this year.
“I am not sure if it could really outperform the most recent Abrams models, but I am also skeptical that the U.S. is actually going to sell the v4 variant of the Abrams that has similar capabilities to the KF51 Panther,” Cohen told Newsweek.
“Therefore, this is a very clear signal of what Germany is willing to send Ukraine should the conflict last more than 12 to 18 months.” Armin Papperger, in an interview with newspaper Handelsblatt, revealed that he has been in discussion with Kyiv about the possibility of delivering a production KF51 to the Ukrainian Army.
As CEO of Rheinmetall his words gave validity to an idea that would otherwise be brushed off as fantasy. What’s more remarkable is the suggestion it could be ready in 15 to 18 months. That suggests the system is fairly mature but how realistic this claim is can’t be known.
Papperger also brought up the idea of manufacturing the vehicle in Ukraine once the threat of Russian cruise missile bombardment has faded. In the near term Hungary was suggested to be an ideal choice where Rheinmetall recently set up a plant to build the advanced Lynx IFV for the Hungarian Army.
While Kyiv also expressed interest in the Lynx all this talk remains theoretical until real commitments are made.
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Emma Nehls is a military writer and historian with a passion for exploring the intricacies of warfare and the human experience within the military. With extensive knowledge and a deep understanding of military strategy, tactics, and historical contexts, Nehls brings a unique perspective to his writings.
