Europe’s defense giants are preparing to increase orders as tanks enter the theater of operations in Ukraine

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Leopard 2 is an extraordinary success story, according to Johann Michel, research analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

He said that while the number of Russian T-72 and T-90 tanks exported to India has dwindled, they are still the most popular in Europe.

Western tanks offer a greater chance of escaping the all-important first shot in a tank battle, thanks to their thermal sights, says Ed Arnold, research fellow in European security at RUSI.

Arnold says the Tigers, French Leclercs and other newer tanks have better armor and better designs than the Russian alternatives, which means they are more likely to avoid the ammunition explosions that plague Russian models.

Arnold says the Tiger is “the lion in your pack,” helping launch attacks against other tanks.

The Leopard 2 has seen action before, being deployed to Kosovo, Afghanistan and Syria, but not to Europe against Russia, which is the mission for which it was designed.

The Leopard 2, Leclerc, Challenger 2 and M1 Abrams were all designed at different stages of the Cold War, when the Soviet Union was seen as the main enemy of the Western Allies. France has yet to submit Leclerc but Macron is under pressure to do so.

Contacted for comment, Rheinmetall said this week it could deliver 139 Leopard tanks to Ukraine if needed, including 51 of the latest versions next year and 88 older Mark-1 tanks.

Thousands of Leopard 2s are in use across Europe, with customers including Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland and Spain.

Buyers also include former Warsaw Pact members such as Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Germany, Turkey, Spain and Greece are the largest owners, each with more than 300.

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