Ukraine has already received the first 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks. Germany and Portugal are to deliver another batch of 21 Leopard 2A6 tanks by the end of March. That is, there should be at least a battalion of Leopard 2 tanks in Ukraine already this month. Recently, ArmyInform published an interview with senior sergeant Yevgenyi Martyniuk, a soldier of the 17th Separate Tank Brigade, who talked about training on this tank and noted its advantages.
Martyniuk says the following about the process: they train intensively for 13 hours a day. In the first half of the day, fighters study the specifications of the tank, then learn to assemble and disassemble tanks on the simulator.
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"We study electrical equipment, engines, protection… In short, various systems. There is an opportunity to introduce malfunctions on simulators. We learn to look for damage to electrical wiring", says the senior sergeant. The militaryman notes that the instructors are satisfied with the work of the Ukrainian tank crews, in particular he recalls a case when they were able to replace the engine faster than it should have been done. In general, as Martyniuk notes, it only takes 40 minutes to replace the engine and go into battle again.
About the tank itself, the soldier first of all notes the following: "Leopard 2 is not what we are used to." The senior sergeant notes that the vehicle starts faster than the T-80, "actually like a car: I turned the key and drove away."
Although the tank weight (Leopard 2A4 is 55 tons, Leopard 2A6 is 62.5 tons), Ukrainian tank operator says that he is impressed by the dynamics of the German tank, in particular, how quickly the vehicle moves from a place and gains speed. Separately notes the reverse speed, which is 31 km/h in the Leopard 2: "In conditions when you need to quickly move away from the position, this is a big advantage. The T-64 or T-72 moves in reverse at a speed of 5 km/h." Special mention is made of the very sensitive automatic gearbox with an instant response to switching and the steering wheel that controls the Leopard 2 tank.
Martyniuk name the tank gun a "sniper rifle" with a range of up to 4 km at night and up to 5 km during the day. At the same time, the thermal imager works in such a way that it allows you to identify targets at a distance of up to 4 km. The tank turret makes a full revolution in just 9 seconds.
He also notes the convenience of the vehicle: there is much more space for the crew in the tank compared to Soviet ones: all crew members "feel fine" in the tank, and the loader "can even lie down to sleep". In general, the tankman notes that "inside the tank in terms of ergonomics everything is much more convenient than we are used to."
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