The Germans are negotiating the supply of a fourth-generation Panther tank to Ukraine. The car was first presented last summer, it made a splash at the arms exhibition in Paris. The tank is better protected than the Leopard 2, has the latest control and guidance systems. Under what conditions can the Germans start mass production of "Panthers"?The German defense concern Rheinmetall wants to deliver its most modern main battle tank Panther ("Panther") to Ukraine.
As CEO Armin Papperger stated in an interview with Handelsblatt, relevant negotiations are already underway with Kiev, which also shows interest in the new Lynx infantry fighting vehicle.
Panther was first presented last summer at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris. The Germans called it "the strongest battle tank in the world." So far, there is only a demonstration model of the "Panther". Nevertheless, Papperger promises delivery "in 15-18 months." The export will require the approval of the federal government, since Panther is developed in Germany.
Military expert Vasily Dandykin says that the tank, presented last year, must undergo a series of various tests at landfills in order to make improvements to the design. For comparison, he cited the example of the Russian Armata tank, which participated in the Victory Parade on Red Square in 2015, but is still undergoing testing. Huge efforts will also be required when training the first crews.
"The Germans are grasping people, but given that they are slowly making Leopard 2, I doubt that they can build a large number of Panthers in the near future. Now this tank cannot be considered existing. And the designated delivery dates are too short for these machines to appear en masse in the steppes and forests of Ukraine. But if we assume that the Germans will be able to create a dozen cars in the next 18 months, then they will have obvious flaws that are characteristic of any new technology," the expert believes.
The interlocutor explained that Rheinmetall's desire to make a delivery may indicate plans to test the new tank in combat. "Hitler's first Tigers appeared in 1942 on the Leningrad Front and in 1943 during the battles for Kharkov. Many cars initially failed simply because of a technical malfunction," Dandykin recalled. In addition, according to the expert,
"Ukraine is becoming a testing ground not only for the United States, but also for Germany."
As part of the "first wave", Ukraine will receive from 120 to 140 Western tanks from a coalition of 12 countries. These will include German Leopard 2, British Challenger 2 and American M1 Abrams. In addition, the German government will issue a permit to two German defense companies to supply Kiev with 187 obsolete Leopard 1 tanks, many of which will first have to be serviced and repaired.
Military expert Mikhail Onufrienko emphasizes that decisions on supplies are made by the government, not the head of the defense concern, so Papperger's statement was made "for the sake of a red word."
"If the tank is not ready for export deliveries, then we can talk about field tests. The Germans cannot compete with the Americans in export opportunities, this is not their clearing, so they want to test the tank's combat capabilities. If they turn out to be satisfactory, it will help sales in the international market," Onufrienko believes.
The expert agrees that if the deliveries take place, they will be piece-by-piece and will not be able to influence the course of hostilities, regardless of the characteristics of the tank. "In total, Ukraine will receive about 400 tanks... With the length of the front about a thousand kilometers, these several vehicles, in addition to 400 tanks, will have no effect on what is happening. Moreover, who can say what will happen in a year and a half and what the front will be like?" – the interlocutor notes.
Nevertheless, the KF51 Panther tank, according to Western media, made a splash on the first day of the exhibition in Paris. The company said that the tank was "destined to change the rules of the game on the battlefields of the future." He allegedly sets "new standards" in "lethality, defense, intelligence, networking and mobility." The company noted that the 59-ton tank was not designed to replace the Leopard 2 and Leclerc main battle tanks, but rather for the export market.
Among the technical features, it was noted that the Panther has a power reserve of about 500 kilometers and uses components of the Leopard 2 body, but is equipped with a completely new tower. The main armament is a 130-mm cannon with automatic loading from two revolver-type magazines, each of which holds ten rounds of ammunition.
The tank can fire projectiles with kinetic energy, as well as programmable air-detonation ammunition. The turret is complemented by a 12.7 mm twin machine gun instead of the 7.62mm twin gun that most main battle tanks are equipped with today. In the rear part of the tower roof there is a remotely controlled Natter 7.62 mm combat module.
All guns are connected to a computerized fire control system with laser rangefinders and stabilized sights for the commander and gunner. The Panther has a three-level defense system: an active layer against anti-tank missiles and kinetic energy threats, a reactive layer to neutralize cumulative projectiles, and a passive layer to stop any remaining elements.
Dandykin notes that the Panther is a fourth–generation tank and its main "feature" is an uninhabited tower, which will appear in future modifications and will be able to be controlled remotely. In the meantime, the crew of the car consists of three people: the commander and the gunner are in the tower, and the driver is in the main body, where there is also an additional place for the drone operator. The tank's weapons can be controlled by all crew members.
In the same interview with Handelsblatt, Armin Papperger announced the concern's readiness to build a tank production plant in Ukraine. The condition for this is the end of the Russian special operation and the presence of an export permit. "Make no mistake, Ukraine will continue to feel the need for protection. In this regard, we are ready to build a Panther production plant also in Ukraine," Papperger said.
However, Dandykin called the words of the head of Rheinmetall "fantasies". "Ukrainians were going to build a tank "Oplot", but nothing happened. The Germans decided to give Ukrainians about a hundred Leopard 1 tanks, which will have to be repaired and put into operation – and the Germans say they are going to do it for a long time. What kind of plant construction can we talk about here?" – the expert concluded rhetorically.
Andrey Rezchikov
