Along with drones, main battle tanks have grabbed much of the headlines around the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Some experts had written off tank warfare as irrelevant to a modern fight, but it has become increasingly important.
In fact, acquiring modern and sophisticated tanks has become one of the main priorities of the Ukrainian forces. U.S., Polish, and British diplomats responded to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request for small quantities of main combat tanks last month by promising to provide them to Ukraine. These tanks are the Leopard 2, M-1A2, and Challenger.
While eventual shipments of these advanced MBTs will undoubtedly be useful to Ukraine’s defensive efforts, a notable Western-designed tank is sorely lacking. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has stated that the French Leclerc tank may be imported to Ukraine in the near future.
A brief history of the Origin of Leclerc
The French armored corps has used tanks from the Leclerc family for over 30 years. The French officer who oversaw the liberation of Paris in World War II inspired the naming of the heavy tank Marshal Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque.
As early as the 1960s, the French Army began considering replacing its aging and relatively weak AMX-30 tank. In the following years, France opted for a new model.
In the years that followed, France and West Germany collaborated on the design of an advanced MBT. This combined armored vehicle, known as the Napoleon I in France and the Kampfpanzer III in Germany, was the subject of a Memorandum of Understanding signed by both countries.
Although disagreements over design eventually dissolved the collaborative project, the French Leclerc tank was born out of the program.
The Leclerc tank was manufactured by Nexter Systems, a French company formerly known as GIAT Industries and established in the early 1970s. Nexter produced 862 Leclerc tanks as of 2007.
More than $9 million was spent on each heavy tank when they were first produced in the early 2000s, making them the most costly MBT in the world. Nexter has the capability to pick up production again if the need arises, even though they are currently not actively producing the tanks.
The Leclerc is small but mighty.
The Leclerc is equipped with a sophisticated modular armor system that allows it to counter any danger. Damaged parts of the modular system can be simply swapped out, and the system can be upgraded with newer and better components as they become available.
The French tank is propelled by a VD V8X-1500 turbocharged diesel engine, developed in-house and considerably more compact than other modern tank engines.
Although the French heavy tank may be smaller than its counterparts, it is not light on armaments. The GIAT CN-120-26 cannon, caliber 52, is the main armament of the Leclerc. Since most similar main battle tanks are usually equipped with 44 caliber guns, the Leclerc’s shells have a higher velocity.
Has the Leclerc behaved well in combat?
The United Arab Emirates “Zayed” derivative of the Leclerc tank has done well in its role battling the Houthi uprising in Yemen, despite the tank’s lack of experience in competitive fights compared to the American Abrams or British Challenger during Desert Storm.
The possible addition of this formidable tank to the Ukrainian arsenal of main battle tanks will undoubtedly contribute to the country’s defensive efforts against Russia.
