All eight Leopard 2 primary battle tanks pledged by the Canadian Department of National Defence to Ukraine have now reached Poland. Alongside the eight Leopard 2 primary battle tanks delivered to Poland, Canada has also dispatched three Leopard gunnery simulators from the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) stockpile to aid in training Ukrainian tank operators on the functioning and strategies of these main battle tanks. The Leopard 2 serves as the primary battle tank for the Canadian Armed Forces and for numerous Allies and partners. The Canadian Department of National Defence’s aid to Ukraine is all-encompassing and will persist.
The Canadian Minister of National Defence, Anita Anand, also declared that Canada will supply ammunition, spare parts, and will assign Canadian Armed Forces personnel to instruct Ukrainian soldiers on the utilization of these tanks in a third country. This contribution responds to Ukraine’s pressing request for tanks – a plea that was echoed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov at the previous week’s meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany. Canada’s donation also results from considerable coordination with Allies and partners, who are similarly intending to donate Leopard 2 primary battle tanks to Ukraine, among other Western main battle tanks.
The Leopard 2 is a third-generation German main battle tank. Developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s, the tank was commissioned in 1979 and supplanted the preceding Leopard 1 as the primary battle tank of the West German Army. The Canadian Armed Forces procured 12 2A4s/Pz 87 primary battle tanks from Switzerland for the ‘Force Mobility Enhancement’ project which, together with the remaining unutilized ex-Dutch tanks, saw 18 converted to Armoured Engineering Vehicles and 4 converted to Armoured Recovery Vehicles. Canada has also acquired 15 2A4s from Germany as Logistic Stock Vehicles. Canada bought 20 Leopard 2A6s from the Netherlands. These were delivered in 2007.
These heavily fortified and supremely defended vehicles offer soldiers a tactical edge on the battlefield, courtesy of their superior mobility, firepower, and survivability. The Leopard 2 is an exceptional battle tank that serves the Canadian Army efficiently. The donation of Canadian Army Leopard 2 tanks, along with donations by Allies and partners, will considerably assist the Armed Forces of Ukraine as they bravely strive to protect their nation’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
Canada has already pledged well over $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine, and Canada will persist in standing with Ukraine in its struggle against Russia’s unlawful and indefensible ωɑɾ.