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Poland signals intent to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine
Reuters ^ | January 23, 2023 | Pawel Florkiewicz

Posted on 01/23/2023 3:57:43 AM PST by Timber Rattler

Poland's prime minister said on Monday his government would ask Germany for permission to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine, and planned to send them whether or not Berlin agreed.

Germany's foreign minister had said on Sunday that Berlin would not stand in the way if Poland wanted to do so.

The issue of supplying the German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine has dominated recent discussions among Western allies about how much and what sort of material aid they should give Ukraine as the first anniversary of the Russian invasion nears.

The development comes as both sides are believed to be planning spring offensives to break deadlock in what has become a war of attrition in eastern and southern Ukraine.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Germany; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: 0bidenlover; 0timberisatroll; createcontovery; federalcontractor; freetheleopards; glowie; harassaallyall; ihatefreepers; ilovetoseedeadpeople; ilovewarporn; imannoying; imrudeandannoying; itsagamechanger; nato; neoconwarmonger; oneissueposter; poland; snekbot; stirupdiscord; theukieboyisaloser; ukraine; war
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1 posted on 01/23/2023 3:57:43 AM PST by Timber Rattler
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To: Timber Rattler

Must have gotten the OK from Germany. But it is still going to be three or four months before the crews manning these Leopard tanks are trained well enough to enter battle.

Poorly manned tanks are highly vulnerable. Plus setting up the logistics, away the most important part of utilizing tanks on the battlefield.


2 posted on 01/23/2023 4:03:56 AM PST by alloysteel (People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do - Isaac Asimov)
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To: Timber Rattler

Wonder how the Leopards compare to the Abrams? I’ve read Abrams are a maintenance nightmare while Germans have a long reputation for building world class tanks.


3 posted on 01/23/2023 4:22:36 AM PST by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
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To: Timber Rattler
‘Free the Leopards!’


4 posted on 01/23/2023 4:29:17 AM PST by tlozo (Better to Die on Your Feet than Live on Your Knees )
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To: Bonemaker

German tanks have a horrible reputation for difficulty maintenance and poor reliability. This was the case with all of their WWII famous tanks. Even Guderian said the T-34 was the best in the war.
Think I’m wrong? Who in their right mind would buy a 25 year old German car without finding a good specialty mechanic?

It’ll be at least nice to see modern leopards in Russian museums beside the Tigers and panthers already there.


5 posted on 01/23/2023 4:45:03 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up..)
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To: Bonemaker

Wonder how the Leopards compare to the Abrams? I’ve read Abrams are a maintenance nightmare while Germans have a long reputation for building world class tanks.

The US has built many thousands of ‘Abrams maintenance nightmare tanks’, while Germany has only built a few thousand ‘world class tanks’. One has been used extensively in combat, the other has only made ‘guest’ appearances.


6 posted on 01/23/2023 4:49:01 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: Bonemaker

Last I read, the Germans had fewer than 200 operational MBTs.


7 posted on 01/23/2023 4:57:41 AM PST by MMusson
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To: Timber Rattler

8 posted on 01/23/2023 5:15:26 AM PST by HombreSecreto (The life of a repo man is always intense)
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To: Timber Rattler

Oh, great. Just great!

Another wonder weapon like HIMARS and Javelins that is sure to stop the Ruskies.

NOT.


9 posted on 01/23/2023 5:22:51 AM PST by icclearly
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To: alloysteel

>>But it is still going to be three or four months before the crews manning these Leopard tanks are trained well enough to enter battle.

They’ll probably be crewed by Poles.


10 posted on 01/23/2023 5:26:13 AM PST by FarCenter
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To: Timber Rattler
--- "Poland signals intent to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine"

A side note to the news report. Why "signal" and then send? If Poland is going to send, why place the interim step -- "signal" -- in the whole event?

When the "send" is accomplished, then this will be a news report. As yet, the "send" is not verified. Waiting....

11 posted on 01/23/2023 5:28:07 AM PST by Worldtraveler once upon a time (Degrow government)
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To: DesertRhino
German tanks have a horrible reputation for difficulty maintenance and poor reliability. This was the case with all of their WWII famous tanks

Its not WW2. The Leopard is considered a reliable tank, easy to maintain.

A comparison test was recently made in Poland in order to compare reliability of their Leopard 2A4 tanks with Polish PT-91 Twardy tanks (improved variant of the Soviet T-72). It appeared that tanks with similar mileage (19 000 km) showed different results. Distance between failures of the Leopard 2A4 tank was 174 km and it took on average 1.3 days to repair the tank. On the other hand distance between failures of the Polish PT-91 was only 25 km and it took on average 3.2 days to repair the tank. So despite its age the Leopard 2A4 can be seen as a rather reliable combat vehicle, that is easy to keep in operational order.

http://www.military-today.com/tanks/leopard_2.htm

12 posted on 01/23/2023 5:36:16 AM PST by tlozo (Better to Die on Your Feet than Live on Your Knees )
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To: Timber Rattler
Just in time to get stuck in the springtime mud. Should make good drone fodder.
13 posted on 01/23/2023 5:40:07 AM PST by McGruff (Don't underestimate Joe's ability to f*** things up - Barack Obama)
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To: Timber Rattler
Poland’s PM @MorawieckiM speaking on Germany’s Leopard transfer refusal:

“It’s now up to Germany whether they want to join the mission to stop Russian barbarism, or choose to watch in silence and go down in history as those who were on the wrong side".


14 posted on 01/23/2023 5:47:06 AM PST by tlozo (Better to Die on Your Feet than Live on Your Knees )
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To: Timber Rattler
Enough of this drop at a time stuff...heat up the cow!!!

The nations bordering Russia should just drop this silly pretense and move into Russia and stop this madness.

We've been told time and time again that Putty won't go nuke, so what's the hold up here are Uke lives less valuable that others? is this war so important to arms manufacturers that it's necessary to keep it going as long as possible...I mean what the hell is going on here???
15 posted on 01/23/2023 5:55:06 AM PST by The Louiswu (- .-. ..- -- .--. / ..--- ----- ..--- ....-)
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To: FarCenter

Yes, exactly. Same principle for the American and British tanks too.


16 posted on 01/23/2023 5:59:21 AM PST by OKSooner (Don't try to beat the cops at their own game.)
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To: tlozo

>>Distance between failures of the Leopard 2A4 tank was 174 km and it took on average 1.3 days to repair the tank. On the other hand distance between failures of the Polish PT-91 was only 25 km and it took on average 3.2 days to repair the tank.

No wonder terrorists everywhere use the Toyota Hi-Lux.


17 posted on 01/23/2023 6:06:21 AM PST by FarCenter
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To: Timber Rattler

Good news! Get Ukraine all the weapons they need to defeat putin/russia

May it be so!


18 posted on 01/23/2023 6:11:21 AM PST by Sunsong
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To: Timber Rattler

What’s with this sudden attention to tanks? Is the belief that if Ukraine only had more/better tanks they could expel Russia from Ukraine entirely?


19 posted on 01/23/2023 7:27:02 AM PST by libertylover (Our biggest problem, by far, is that almost all of big media is AGENDA-DRIVEN, not-truth driven.)
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To: Timber Rattler

you forgot to say “it’s a game changer”
tim burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
We should round up a few hundred illegals from the border to drive the tanks for them.


20 posted on 01/23/2023 8:37:43 AM PST by CarolinaReaganFan
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