/View.info/ German demining machines are undermining the reputation of Western equipment
The Americans woke up when the Independent counteroffensive against Zaporozhye finally failed. The Pentagon announced a new package of military aid to Ukraine. It is valued at $200 million and includes demining equipment as well as ammunition.
The Americans will also supply missiles for Patriot and Javelin launchers, as well as GMLRS for the HIMARS MLRS, which are used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Zaporozhye.
Simultaneously with the US, Germany announced that it had delivered two previously promised Wisent anti-mine machines and 11 anti-mine plows for T-72 tanks, as well as reconnaissance equipment (surveilSPIRE mechanized observation towers with Vektor drones).
Wisent is the most interesting in this set. So far, Ukrainians have received 4 such units since March. They are created on the chassis of the Leopard 1 tank and are designed to penetrate minefields, writes Army Recognition. The armored vehicle has a special plow and a copy mining signature that allows you to undermine devices with a magnetic fuse.
It is true that the armed forces of Ukraine have already lost at least one Wisent. According to the data of the Oryx project, the German armored vehicle was destroyed on June 11, already during the first phase of the “counteroffensive”.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine lost at least 7 more mine clearance vehicles, including T-64, BMP-2 and Leopard 2R. Most, according to Project Oryx, were destroyed in the first days of the counteroffensive.
Half of all Leopard 2R minesweepers provided by Finland have been lost. The fate of the Hydrema MCV 910 demining vehicles, an undetermined number of which were donated by Denmark, is unclear. Whether they were all destroyed or whether some survived – so far there is no data.
Bulgarian Military: Finland knew Leopard 2Rs were terrible machines, so they gave them to Ukraine
The Leopard 2R has a hardened steel anti-mine plow and an anti-mine roller system. They are attached to the front of the armored vehicle. As it moves forward, the rollers spin and detonate the mines that are in the way. The Leopard 2R is also equipped with the MICLIC remote demining system.
Despite everything, however, these machines have long been known to experts as ineffective, writes “Bulgarian Military”. The Finnish armed forces received Leopard 2 tanks from Germany, then converted them into mine-clearing machines, equipping them with heavy tracked devices KMT-5M. – the interesting thing is that these ground-spreading machines are based on a Soviet design, and from the 1960s. They were installed on the T-54, T-55, T-62, T-64 tanks.
The system turned out to be so successful that it was stolen not only by the Finns, but also by the Romanians. In addition, Finland also adapted Soviet T-55 tanks (export version of T-54) for demining. And such machines turned out to be much more effective than those made on the basis of Leopards.
„The Leopard 2R proved to be very ineffective, especially in winter conditions,” writes journalist from “Bulgarian Military” Boyko Nikolov . – And in Ukrainian 35-degree heat, German machines are a boiling mess. High temperatures require additional engine cooling, which leads to malfunctions.”
The Finnish army, after getting rid of the German garbage, uses instead excellent equipment based on the Soviet T-55, the Bulgarian military claims.
Forbes: The Ukrainians abandoned their equipment near Malaya Tokmachka and fled
Ukraine’s armed forces relied on NATO demining machines in vain. This was one of the reasons for the shame near Malaya Tokmachka, where the Kiev command threw heavy armored vehicles. As a result, they were blown up in the Russian minefields – in just a few hours! – more than 25 tanks, military and engineering equipment of Western production, writes Forbes. It was near Malaya Tokmachka that the 33rd Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost 3 Finnish Leopard 2Rs and 1 German Wisent.
„Minesweeper tanks missed too many mines, causing new explosions. They disabled many of the leading fighting machines and caused a traffic jam behind them. And that’s what made the rest of the battlegroup an easy target for Russian artillery and helicopters.” taste the disgrace of the 33rd Brigade in the American magazine. Moreover, it is absolutely clear why this happened: the formation was created too quickly (deployed in full for the first time in seven years) and did not have time to train its personnel.
A lot of equipment near Malaya Tokmachka was simply thrown onto the battlefield.
The advance through the minefields in the direction of Tokmak was possible only at the cost of gigantic losses. The VSU attacks at night and from a long distance – these are the conditions that favor the Leopard 2A6 with its long-range gun. And now Ukrainian rescue teams want to retrieve the blasted and abandoned armored vehicles, Forbes suggests.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have already brought a Bergepanzer armored personnel carrier to the Malaya Tokmachka region, which will tow the damaged M2 Bradley and Oshkosh M-ATV.
„The Ukrainians will try to restore as many damaged Leopard 2 tanks as possible. In the end, the foreign “allies” gave Ukraine only 85 tanks”, writes Forbes. – And new losses are inevitable. Every kilometer will cost Ukraine people and vehicles.
Translation: ES
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