WEST vs EAST

With announcements that Challenger 2, Leopard 2 and Abrams M2 tanks are being supplied to Ukraine, Craig Allen analyses how they stack up against Russia's best tanks

A Challenger 2 making light work of traffic
CROWN COPYRIGHT

Since Russia first invaded Ukraine, the latter’s armed forces have been crying out for modern Western tanks, which are finally arriving. So how will the Challenger 2s, Leopard 2s and Abrams M2s perform against Russian T-72s, T80s and T-90s? These Western tanks were originally developed during the Cold War to over-match Soviet armour of the time. Essentially, Russian forces now deployed in Ukraine are still using the same aalbeit updated aarmour from that period.

The Western designs have also been steadily upgraded and in general terms are faster, better protected and more lethal than their Russian counterparts. This comes with some caveats as they are also significantly heavier, which may cause issues with bridge crossing and the boggy, muddy conditions likely to be experienced in Ukraine during spring and summer.

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