Produced by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, the military manufacturer described Leopard 2 tanks as "the ideal combination of protection, mobility, manoeuvrability and fire power." The main battle tanks have a maximum speed of around 43.5mph and a range of just under 280 miles. The Leopard 2 tanks are what the Ukrainians really need, more than the Challenger 2 and Abrams tanks, Clarke argued. The provision of Leopard 2, Challenger II or Abrams tanks would certainly constitute an escalation from NATO countries, but one that is necessary to prevent Ukraine from slowly losing the war, according to Clarke. On Monday, it was reported by Britain's Sky News that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was now considering sending 10 Challenger 2 main battle tanks after "a few weeks" of discussions. has refused to commit to sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine, but announced it will send 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles in the Defense Department's latest military aid package. Leopard 2 tanks are often considered in the same breath as the U.K.'s Challenger 2 tanks or the U.S. "At the moment, everything is logjammed by German reluctance either to send its own Leopards, or to license any other Leopards to be sent," leading defense and security analyst Professor Michael Clarke told Newsweek on Thursday. and some of its allies have been reluctant to provide the advanced weaponry fearing it could lead to an escalation of the conflict. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has long appealed to NATO countries to supply his forces with tanks and fighter aircraft to repel the Russian invasion, but the U.S. Poland has said it will send a company of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, but Germany holds the export license for the main battle tank. A Leopard 2A6 main battle tank of the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, stands with a rainbow behind as it participates in the NATO Iron Wolf military exercises on Octoin Pabrade, Lithuania.
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