The Leopard 2 tanks are what the Ukrainians need most, Professor Michael Clarke told Newsweek.
"If the Ukrainians had 100 or so Leopard tanks, then you're really talking about a strategically effective force, which would allow Ukraine to take the war to the Russians, instead of just losing slowly, which is what they've been doing. They could take the war to the Russians and start to make a difference," he continued.
Poland's promise of a company of Leopard 2 tanks would be just a"starting number," according to Clarke, but with 100 Leopard 2 tanks, the Ukrainians would have enough for two armored battle groups when combined with the rest of the military equipment, vehicles and air support heading for the front lines.
"But nobody has to give huge numbers," Clarke emphasized, because"there are so many Leopard 2 [tanks] around in Europe, that if everybody gave 20, [then] five or six nations could give the Ukrainians what they need." Nick Reynolds, research analyst of land warfare at the U.K.'s Royal United Services Institute think tank, toldon Thursday that even double-digit numbers of Leopard 2 tanks would make some difference on the front lines. But he stressed that proper training, proper maintenance and supplies of spare parts would be crucial in their success on the battlefield.
Nonetheless, even if the Ukrainian armed forces needed at least weeks of training, Leopard 2 tanks would still be among the best of the options, he argued. A key advantage of the Leopard 2 is more standardized ammunition, whereas the supply chain for ammunition or parts would be far more specific with the Challenger 2.
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