REPORTAGE

Defense: what are tanks for on the battlefield?

Audio 01:18

The "Leclerc" tanks of the 1st Hunter Regiment deployed here on the Cincu camp maneuver ground, in Romania (Illustration image).

© Franck Alexandre / RFI

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

Germany announced on Wednesday morning that it would provide Leopard 2

tanks

to Kiev and authorize its allies to do the same to enable the Ukrainian army to face the Russian military offensive.

RFI

attended the deployments of French

Leclerc

tanks in Romania as part of a NATO reassurance mission, where these materials give their full potential.

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With our special correspondent in Romania, 

Franck Alexandre

Six minute blows, in all directions, while rolling.

But for these tanks to be effective, they must be supported by infantry and artillery.

Because if the tanks shoot far, they are vulnerable close during contact with the enemy.

“ 

In the combat phase, the tanks are in front,

recalls Captain Sylvain, of the 1st Hunter Regiment.

If the mood were to drop and we no longer had contact with the enemy, at that time we would save the tanks in the rear for protection.

The VBLs

(light armored vehicles, editor's note)

which are lighter, more discreet, would pass to the first level and provide information on the enemy.

Tanks can go up to 70 kilometers per hour in open terrain.

Today, no system is capable of destroying a target that goes above 50 kilometers per hour

 ”.

Tanks essential to Ukraine

Tanks are therefore essential in kyiv.

There is no example of war without tanks, insists Lieutenant-Colonel Vincent, Operation Chief of the Battle Group Aigle.

The Army in particular does not conceive of its defense without a tank capability which remains, as we have seen, in open terrain where mobility is difficult,

" he said.

The best thing about the battlefield is how quickly the tank can clear the terrain and cross that compartment which is dangerous, because there is no mask.

The battle tank remains an essential asset, particularly in Central Europe

 ”.

To relaunch the offensive, the Ukrainian forces believe they need a very large number of combat tanks.

300 units would be the target.

►Also read: 

Germany gives the green light to the delivery of "Leopard" tanks to Ukraine

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