War in Ukraine | Canadian Leopard 2s, 2007 to present

In 2006, Canada’s main battle tank fleet was on its way out. But due to the problems faced by Canadian troops in Afghanistan, the tide has turned. And Canada bought 120 Leopard 2 tanks. A bit of history.

From Leopard 1 to Leopard C2

In the late 1970s, Canada acquired Leopard 1 tanks. In 2000, more than a hundred of them were upgraded and renamed Leopard C2. The Canadian government then decides to drop the combat tanks. To replace them, a plan to purchase 66 mobile gun systems (MCS) on wheels was announced – then abandoned in 2006. The Leopard C2s entered the decommissioning phase. The Royal Canadian Armored Corps is virtually stripped of its tanks and relegated to a reconnaissance and surveillance role, writes retired Lieutenant-Colonel Perry Wells in an article published in The Canadian Army Journal.

Kandahar

Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, the Canadian mission is moving from Kabul to Kandahar. The soldiers are engaged in an operation (MEDUSA) intended to chase the Taliban from the Panjwai district. Many human and material losses are deplored. “Operation MEDUSA underscored the dire need for a multipurpose, armored, high caliber towed vehicle with direct fire capability – in other words, a tank,” Lt. Col. Perry Wells continues in his article. A squadron of 15 Leopard C2s, plus two spare tanks and two recovery armored vehicles, is deployed. The situation is improving. But the C2 has shortcomings in the face of unconventional weapons such as improvised explosive devices.

Purchasing Leopard 2

In January 2007, as part of the tank replacement project, a committee was formed to find an alternative solution. For Afghanistan, this committee chooses the Leopard 2 model A6M – the M indicates protection against mines. In the meantime, Canada is borrowing 20 tanks and two recovery vehicles from Germany for two years. An agreement was also concluded with the Netherlands for the purchase of a hundred Leopard 2 A4s. Their cost is estimated at 650 million. “It is better for our troops to acquire more solid and heavily armed tanks which will increase their protection,” declared the Minister of National Defense at the time, Gordon O’Connor. A first Leopard 2A6M CAN arrives in Afghanistan on August 15, 2007. Canada will not return the German tanks until 2010, after upgrading and additional costs.

The harsh Afghan climate

Four years of field work in Afghanistan put the Canadian Leopard 2s to the test. About twenty of these vehicles will return to the country in 2011. A $10.16 million contract is awarded to the Quebec company Wajax Power Systems for engine maintenance. “These are extreme conditions. The tanks were driving daily, it was extremely hot and with the rock, the sand, it becomes very hard on the equipment,” said Captain Yves Bouffard in an interview with The sun.

Widely used for training

Editor of the military journal Esprit de corps, Scott Taylor has reservations about donating Canadian tanks to Ukraine. “Of all the tanks donated to Ukraine, Canadian vehicles will need the most upgrades,” he said in an interview. Because we use them a lot more for training. And like all vehicles with complex mechanics, they have to be fully serviced on a regular basis, so not all vehicles will be operational at the same time. “The country does not have a large reserve,” continues Mr. Taylor. If we remove 10 or 15 tanks from the park, we will greatly reduce our own capacities. And it can’t be replaced quickly. As several countries donate tanks to Ukraine, the manufacturer Krauss-Maffei will receive several orders. »

Where are they ?

Where are these Leopard 2 tanks? ” [Le parc] located primarily at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, Canadian Forces Base Gagetown [au Nouveau-Brunswick] and at the Army Equipment Fielding Center in Montreal,” responds the Canadian Armed Forces via email. Other tanks are believed to be in Petawawa, Ontario.

With The Canadian Army Journalmilitary-today.com, The sunCBC and army-technoloy.com