Belgium Sends Ukraine a Tank That Runs Away Faster Than Russian Drones Can Strike
Its automated turret could give Ukraine’s Leopard 1 tanks the winning hand against deadly FPVs
Ukraine is getting a special Leopard tank from Belgium—an old German-made Leopard 1A5 with a new automated turret designed to outmaneuver Russian drones. It’s a test asset that could revolutionize Ukrainian tank warfare against Russia’s drone threats.
If Ukrainian troops like it, and Kyiv can afford it, this Belgian-modified Leopard 1A5 could lead to a whole new class of Ukrainian tanks better equipped for drone warfare.
Belgium has pledged an additional $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine. This aid package includes medical equipment, portable drone-detection equipment, night-vision goggles, 16,000 guns, 20 Cerberus counter-drone systems, and what the newspaper De Tijd described as “a Leopard battle tank with a new gun turret for testing purposes.”
This Leopard 1A5 upgrade represents Belgium’s contribution to Ukraine’s evolving anti-drone tank strategy.
What does “automated turret” mean? It turns without human interaction? Or that personnel are only in the body and thus safer?
To outrun the threat you must spot the threat: tanks and other AFV have massive blind spots. Drones are small, fast and overhead not within your field of vision especially in a tank, which is already half blind.