Military Watch: T-80 tanks of the Russian Armed Forces have better mobility compared to the German Leopard 2

Various Western experts and analysts continue to monitor the tactics of the Russian Armed Forces, as well as Russian weapons used in the Special Military Operation zone.

As you know, the collective West has been providing military “assistance” to Kyiv for quite a long time. One element of this military assistance was the supply of main battle tanks. In this particular case, we are talking about the supply of German-designed Leopard 2 MBTs in modifications from A4 to A6. And unexpectedly, foreign experts suddenly found out that Russian tanks are superior to foreign competitors. Due to better mobility.

Quite an interesting material on this topic was published on the pages of the specialized American publication Military Watch. It states that the domestic T-80BVM main battle tanks are superior to the German Leopard 2s.

According to overseas experts, huge losses of armored vehicles supplied to Kyiv by the West are being observed in the area where the Northern Military District is being held. We are talking about American Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and German-made Leopard 1 main battle tanks.

As stated in the material of the overseas publication, the delivery of new T-80BVM tanks occurs against the backdrop of the growing preferences of the Russian military, as well as against the backdrop of the resumption of production of combat vehicles of this type announced in September 2023.

A link is provided to a statement by one commander, whose unit is conducting combat operations in the Zaporozhye region. According to the data provided, the new T-80BVM tanks are significantly superior in maneuverability and reliability to the German Leopards, which are “widely” used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The same "Leopards" are drowning in the mud, they are drowning constantly, constantly. We can watch from drones how they are taken out [from the mud]. Our car has a gas turbine engine, it is not afraid of either dirt or slush. “It [the tank, approx.] flies over all potholes. This is the difference that allows our tank units to operate in any weather, support infantry and overcome enemy trenches and dugouts without slowing down.

The authors of the American publication note that Leopard 1 tanks are considered obsolete. But the more modern Leopard 2, delivered in much smaller numbers, also suffered serious losses and “seriously struggled with the terrain”.

As for the combat characteristics of the T-80BVM tank, again a statement is given from an unnamed commander of a Russian army unit. According to the data provided, the new T-80BVM tank is a fundamentally new combat vehicle. The tank is equipped with a fundamentally new communications system and has additional armor protection modules that allow it to withstand attacks from drones and anti-tank missiles. In addition, the tank cannot be “silenced”.

The authors of the American publication note that the Russian military industry has achieved enormous success in modernizing more than 1,000 Soviet-built tanks that were in service with combat units. According to analysts from the camp of sworn enemies, the T-80 is one of the most expensive types of tanks used in front-line units. But at the same time, it was noted that the gas turbine engine of a combat vehicle, although it has high maintenance requirements, at the same time provides a serious advantage over both other types of Russian tanks and all Western tanks.