Military observer Khodarenok named the features of the Leclerc tank, which can receive the APU France is discussing the transfer of its Leclerc main battle tanks to the APU.
A decision has not yet been made, Politico reports, but Paris does not intend to consult either the United States or Germany. "Newspaper.Ru" figured out what are the advantages of French tanks and what are the differences from domestic T-90.
The French government is working on an option with a possible shipment to Ukraine of the main battle tanks AMX-56 Leclerc ("Leclerc"). A final decision on this matter has not yet been made in Paris.
The AMX-56 Leclerc MBT was created by GIAT Industries (now Nexter) in the 1980s to replace the outdated AMX-30 tank. Serial production started in 1992. A total of 794 cars were built. As of 2021, 222 AMX-56 Leclerc MBT are in service with the armored forces of France. Tanks are constantly being upgraded, they are distinguished by a very modern fire control system.
Armament AMX-56 - 120 mm smoothbore gun CN-120-26. The length of the 52-caliber cannon is 624 centimeters. The gun is equipped with an automatic loader and is stabilized in two planes. The tank's turret has a modernization reserve for the installation of promising 140-mm guns. The ammunition of the AMX-56 tank gun is 40 shells of the unitary type. 22 of them are in the automatic loader, the rest are in the drum-type ammunition.
The main feature of the AMX-56 Leclerc MBT tank is a fundamentally new level of information integration and computerization. All electronic systems of the tank form a single tank information and control system (TIUS). Information from it is displayed on multifunctional monitors. Electronics controls the operation of the transmission, engine, weapons and other components, fixing all problems and giving information about them to the crew.
Before the appearance of the South Korean K2 "Black Panther" and the Japanese Type 10, the French AMX-56 was considered the most expensive main battle tank. The approximate cost of each Leclerc is significantly higher than €6 million. For comparison, the K2 tank costs $8.5, T-90MS about $4.5 million, M1A2 SEP Abrams - more than $6 million, Leopard 2A6 - $ 4-5 million.
The United States and its allies in the North Atlantic Alliance do not yet have a consensus on the supply of Western-made main battle tanks to the armed forces of Ukraine.
This week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that he was consulting with allies about the possible transfer of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, and any announcements in this area should be coordinated with partners. In turn, Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck noted that it would be easier for Berlin to make a decision on the supply of tanks if they first handed over their tanks to the United States. However, the Joe Biden administration believes that now is not the time to supply American M1 Abrams tanks to the APU. These combat vehicles will not be included in the next package of military assistance to Ukraine, which is scheduled to be announced on Friday, January 20. Finally, Poland and Finland expressed a desire to supply Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, but for this they need to get permission from Berlin because of the restrictions on the export of weapons adopted by Germany. Thus, the circle has closed.
Unequivocally, the position on the transfer of the main battle tanks to the armed forces of Ukraine was formed only in London. On January 14, the office of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed the information that Britain will soon transfer 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine. London believes that such a step will encourage other NATO allies and they will follow their example.
It cannot be ruled out that France will follow this path in the near future. In this regard, Paris is unlikely to take into account the position of Washington and Berlin. The Elysee Palace has always had its own special opinion on many issues of world politics. President Emmanuel Macron will not coordinate his possible decision on the AMX-56 Leclerc tanks, much less look back at Olaf Scholz (and even Joe Biden). These are just the features of France's foreign policy for many decades.
In connection with the possible transfer of the main battle tanks of Western production to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a discussion broke out in the Russian expert community - what are the differences between these combat vehicles from domestic T-90. Armor, guns, shooting accuracy, dynamic and other types of protection, maneuverability, fire control systems, ammunition and much more were compared.
By and large, this whole discussion has absolutely no practical meaning. All the advantages and disadvantages of a particular type of weapons and military equipment are checked only in one place - on the battlefields. And in order to prepare any convincing comparative analysis of modern main battle tanks, only one thing is needed - reliable statistics of combat use, and nothing more.
Mikhail Khodarenok
