Germany Deploys ‘Leopard 2’ Tanks to Central Europe: Bolstering Defense Against Russian Threats

The deployment of “Leopard 2” tanks to countries in Central Europe is steadily progressing.

Previously the heaviest was the “Boxer” armored car

The Czech Ministry of Defense announced on June 8, 2023 that German “Leopard 2A6” tanks were deployed to the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) multinational battle group stationed in Slovakia.

The NATO Multinational Battle Group is a battalion-sized forward-deployed unit that was organized following the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014. As its name suggests, it is a mixed force formed by the armed forces of multiple countries, and was initially stationed in four countries facing the Baltic Sea: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, with one battle group each.

　

However, due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it will be deployed in Central European countries, and as of June 2023, it is also deployed in four countries: Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. .

One of them, the NATO Multinational Battlegroup Slovakia, consisted mainly of the Czech Republic, as well as Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and others, and had a military strength of about 650.

Among them, Germany dispatched the most personnel and had a large amount of heavy equipment, and although the heaviest combat vehicle in the past was the “Boxer” wheeled armored vehicle, the threat of Russia increased, and this time the “Leopard” 2A6″ tank will be deployed.

The number of “Leopard 2A6” tanks that were added is unknown, but it seems that there are at least four tanks according to the published photos.

The “Leopard 2A6” tank is equipped with a long-barreled 120mm smoothbore gun, is equipped with additional armor, and is the strongest model among the “Leopard 2” tank series with upgraded communication equipment.

On the other hand, Slovakia also has a border with Ukraine, so the flow of introducing weapons from the United States and Germany is accelerating. Regarding tanks, it has been decided to introduce 15 used “Leopard 2A4” from Germany, and in the form of replacing it, 30 BVP-1 (Russian name BMP-1) infantry fighting vehicles of the former Soviet standard will be introduced. It has announced that it will provide various equipment to Ukraine.

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