Posted on 01/18/2017 5:02:51 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — The reputation of Germany’s vaunted Leopard 2 tank, which forms the mainstay of NATO’s armored forces, has taken a pounding in battles with Islamic State militants in Syria.
At least 10 of the 60-ton main battle tanks have been destroyed during a Turkish attempt to recapture the strategically important northern town of al-Bab, located just 15 miles south of the Turkish border, media reports have said.
The Turks have deployed several thousand soldiers in the operation, which began in September. But despite airstrikes by Russian warplanes in support of the advancing troops, they have been unable to take the town in the face of determined opposition.
Several dozen Turkish soldiers and local allies have died in the combat. Germany’s Die Welt newspaper said at least 10 Leopard 2s were destroyed and many others damaged in street fighting on the outskirts of al-Bab. The rebels are said to have used both U.S.-made TOW and Russian Kornet anti-tank missiles in attacks on the tanks.
A German army Leopard 2 tank during Saber Junction exercise 2012 in Hohenfels, Germany. The tanks, which form the mainstay of NATO's armored forces, have been used by the Turkish army in its offensive against the Islamic State in Syria.
MARKUS RAUCHENBERGER/U.S. ARMY
Turkey’s leaders have criticized the Obama administration last month for not providing strike support to their units engaged in the al-Bab operation.
The 60-ton Leopard 2, built by Bavaria’s Krauss-Maffei, has been in service since the 1980s. A total of 2,100 were bought by the German army. But after the Cold War, defense cuts caused a sharp reduction in numbers, and only 325 of a modernized version currently remain in the inventory of the country’s panzer units. About 20 of these are the heavily redesigned and modernized A7 model, but many are earlier A4 models — the same as used by the Turkish army.
Leopard 2s were widely exported over the years. A number of countries — including Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, the Netherlands, Turkey, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland — have equipped their armies with the model. After the end of the Cold War, the German army started selling off surplus armored vehicles, and many other allies, such as Poland, took advantage of discounts to equip their armored fleets with the German panzers.
The tank gained a reputation as “indestructible” in 2003, when a Canadian Leopard 2 famously survived without casualties and only minor damage a massive Taliban land mine explosion.
But critics have said the tanks, which were specifically designed to counter a Soviet armored thrust through the north German plains, are not suitable for combat in an urban environment.
The frontal armor on the hull and turret on the Leopard 2 is much thicker than on the sides and rear of the tracked vehicle.
The tank’s designers, who sought to achieve an optimal combination of protection, agility, and fire power, have always stressed the need for maneuverability on the battlefield, making the armor on its flanks and back lighter than on other other Western tanks such as the U.S. M1A2 Abrams or the British Challenger 2.
Also, the Turkish Leopards don’t have explosive reactive armor or active protection systems to block incoming rounds. Active protection systems deal with threats such as rocket-propelled grenades or anti-tank guided missiles by combining electronic detection of hostile fire with jammers, smoke screens and interceptors intended to destroy the threats.
The Islamic State militants appear to have seized on this vulnerability to attack the Leopards when they entered al-Bab, targeting its flanks and rear in attacks that forced the Turkish army to abandon its thrust into the city.
Ralf Rath, head of the Panzermuseum in Munster, said the photos and videos on the internet that showed the destruction of Leopard tanks in Syria made it clear that the tanks were vulnerable.
“Contrary to common perceptions, tanks are no individual fighters,” he said. Referring to videos that showed the Leopards moving alone into al-Bab, he said that on urban battlefields “tanks always need infantry alongside that can protect their vulnerable flanks.”
Marcus Kloeckner contributed to this story.
Watch the missiles blow up the tanks on liveleak.
The tankers are dumb enough to park them in an exposed place, giving the missile shooter ample time to aim.
Yes, but it's not really a portable device that can be rolled in alongside tanks on the move -
http://dtic.mil/ndia/2007gun_missile/GMTuePM2/MartinPresentation.pdf
None. We gave them, gratis. If you want to know who's paying for them get out a mirror. We taxpayers are.
Here’s a problem Raytheon systems. Their biggest international customer (over 50%) is Saudi Arabia. And the number one supporter of jihadis with money and weapons and technical information is Saudi Arabia. Don’t expect the systems not to become technically compromised.
ISIS is using US tow missiles. Refer any questions on how they got them to Senator John McCain (R-ISIS).
Treadhead ping. Are there still many of you still around?
Refer any questions on how they got them to Vladimir Putin (C-KGB).
I’m here ex 19k. M60a3TTS, XM1, M1 , M1A1.
I'm still here and still reading your threads ...
Great stuff.
Hell, just even close hit will shred antennae's, damage periscopes, knock boresight (gun to lense) out, warp/tear/break tracks, puncture exhaust manifold, external fuel tanks, ammo stored outside, kill personnel, etc.
>Refer any questions on how they got them to Vladimir Putin (C-KGB).
They got the Kornet from the US trained Iraqi army that ran away from ISIS. On the other hand we haven't sold any TOW missiles to Iraq(Good idea). Instead we've been selling them to Saudi Arabia(Bad idea) by the tens of thousands for use against the Syrian government by Syrian “rebel” forces, which apparently includes ISIS. We also provided the CIA trainers to train the rebels on how to use them.
Allied troops are dying because John McCain had to arm ISIS in order to destroy Syria.
Where is the Obama Air force in this attack? Where is the Luftwaffe? Do not the NATO forces back the Turks in their attack?
I don't post as much anymore.
Regards,
TS
Still here, just not as much. Too much time with my Marines and family on Facebook. Gotta stop and come back to my roots.
All tanks are vulnerable to advanced ATGMs. The low losses of M1 tanks in both Iraq wars were due to the superior skill and tactics of the US army, not because the tanks were invulnerable.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.