A rare tank is being used to fire on Russian positions in this footage, which is recent but does not disclose its location. The donated STRV-122 is a Swedish variant of the German Leopard-2, sporting thicker armor and hatches, as well as French smoke dispensing systems and an upgraded command-and-control suite.

Despite these upgrades to already-impressive German armor, the STRV-122s sent to Ukraine have endured some pretty extreme punishment. It is unknown if this is due to some sort of deficiency or due to the STRV-122 being a high-value target. Of a total 120 built, ten were sent to Ukraine, and of those, seven have been disabled or destroyed. That makes spotting one of the remaining three “in the wild” and in use an exceedingly rare sight. The STRV is something of an endangered species as far as Ukraine is concerned. Losing 70 percent of the STRV-122 contingent, even temporarily, constitutes a substantial setback for Ukraine, as per specifications, the STRV is functionally fairly equivalent to the M1A2 Abrams. Note how the tank is being used to fire from protective defilade- a seeming rarity in the tank tactics used heretofore.

 

About the Author

 

       

     

Cole Simms

     

Cole Simms is an Air Guardsman, NASA enthusiast, police officer, and security contractor with particular experience in austere environments. Outside of work, he volunteers as a Stop The Bleed instructor for area schools. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and blends his knowledge and experience to write analysis for Funker530.

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