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Ukraine - Leopard 1A5DK

As it became known from the 24 May 2024 briefing documentation of Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, the delivery of Leopard 1A5 tanks to Ukraine last year was postponed from spring to summer due to the fact that KMW did not have time to repair the turrets. The tanks had problems with the fire control system , some vehicles were delivered with faulty guns , in particular, there was no muzzle brake.

Some Bundeswehr Leopard 1A5s were sent to the training ground in unsatisfactory condition and taken directly from the training ground for repairs. Whether the Ukrainian crews continued training on other vehicles or not is unknown. The number of Leopard 1A5 tanks transferred to Ukraine, according to a study by WirtschaftsWoche, is 90 vehicles, another 20 should be transferred by the end of June. It is worth noting that legally Ukraine takes possession of the Leopards even during the training of crews at German training grounds, therefore, not all of the promised vehicles were delivered to the territory of Ukraine. According to approximate data, the tank battalions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were currently equipped with three dozen Leopard 1A5 tanks, two of which were destroyed.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said 19 Sepetmber 2023 his country will donate 45 more tanks to Ukraine. The donation will consist of 30 Leopard 1 tanks and 15 T-72 tanks. The Minister of Defense was at the meeting at the Ramstein base in Germany, where a large number of countries are coordinating military support for Ukraine. The new tank donation are acquired in collaboration with other countries, says Troels Lund Poulsen.

In a press release from the Ministry of Defence, it is stated that the donation of the 15 T-72 tanks has been made possible in cooperation with the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. But it is Denmark that alone pays for the tanks. The 30 Leopard 1 tanks are donated in cooperation with Germany. Denmark has previously announced in cooperation with Germany and the Netherlands that the countries would buy at least 100 Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine's defense.

At the beginning of September, the first ten of them arrived in Ukraine after months of delay. But this is the first time that Denmark is donating T-72 tanks. Ukraine's defense already has experience with them, and therefore Ukrainian soldiers do not need to be trained in using them.

Denmark's Acting Defense Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, confirmed 10 April 2023 Denmark’s intention to provide refurbished 100 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine. "We will start delivering Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine before the summer. And then, hopefully, looking half a year ahead, it will be possible for us to donate about 100 Leopard 1 tanks, and that, I'll say, would be a substantial thing for Ukraine's army," Poulsen said. His statement was made at a briefing with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov at the Ukraine – Odesa Media Center. In thanking the Danish Defense Minister, Mr. Reznikov said: "In the near future, we will hear 'Leopards' roaring with the Danish accent.”

On 10 March 2023, Minister Troels Lund Poulsen and the German Defense Ministry’s State Secretary Thomas Hitschler visited the German military vehicle manufacturing company Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) to be updated on the work to prepare Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine. “I am very excited to have visited FFG. I was there to see that the work to prepare Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine is progressing so that we can get them going as soon as possible. I am proud that Denmark, in cooperation with other countries, supports Ukraine’s struggle for freedom with a large and important donation, and we still hope to be able to deliver the first tanks to Ukraine during the spring,” he said.

Denmark, together with the Netherlands and Germany, had launched a project to refurbish a large number of Leopard 1A5 tanks for delivery to Ukraine in February. The first goal of the project is to deliver two tank battalions to Ukraine as quickly as possible, which corresponds to approximately 80 tanks. The first tanks are expected to be ready during the spring and will be used to train Ukrainian forces.

With broad support from the Danish Parliament, the government investigated the possibility of entering into a collaboration on the renovation and donation of at least 100 tanks to Ukraine. Together with the Netherlands and Germany, Denmark launched a project on the renovation of Leopard 1A5 tanks. The first sub-goal of the project was to be able to deliver tanks to two battalions – corresponding to approximately 80 tanks – as quickly as possible. The first tanks were expected to be ready within a few months and will be used to train Ukrainian forces.

"Ukraine badly needs tanks to withstand Russia's continued aggression. I am proud that Denmark has a large stake in the new collaboration with other countries to support Ukraine. Our collaboration on the donation of such a large number of Leopard 1 tanks goes well with other countries' delivery of tanks to Ukraine. Overall, it contributes to Ukraine's ability to fight for its own freedom," says Acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen. As part of the project, Ukraine was offered education and training in the use of the tanks, as well as spare parts and an ammunition package. The joint project is the latest example of Denmark's cooperation with other countries to address Ukraine's military needs. The project is open for more countries to join later.

"This cooperation testifies to the great unity and the enormous will that exists in the West to support Ukraine's right to decide its own destiny," says Troels Lund Poulsen.

The tanks, a variant of the Leopard 1 main battle tank, have the designation “Leopard 1A5DK” and were modernized and upgraded by the Danish Army. The upgrade included the installation of a new diesel engine, an improved gun stabilization system, a new fire control system, upgraded armor, and the integration of modern electronic systems. The Leopard 1A5 is armed with a British 105mm L7A3 rifled gun, which fires a range of anti-tank ammunition and is capable of penetrating the main armor of Russian T-64 and T-72 tanks at ranges of between 800 and 1500 meters depending on the type of ammunition used.