US Army photo by Spc. Nathanael Mercado
- Ukrainian forces are training on Leopard tanks in Spain, according to the Spanish Prime Minister.
- Spain aims to deliver the tanks to Ukraine once troops complete their training.
- Leopard tanks are notable for their firepower, armor, and speed on various terrains.
As Ukraine's forces prepare for major deliveries of armored combat vehicles, troops are training on Leopard tanks in Spain.
Per reporting from Ukrinform, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday that a group of soldiers are learning to operate the heavy armor.
"Together with the contribution of other allies, these units will contribute to push the capacity of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," Sanchez said.
Sanchez revealed that the arrival of Leopard tanks in Ukraine would correspond with the return of trained soldiers.
"We are aiming to synchronize the delivery of the Leopards with the finalization of the training of Ukrainian soldiers," Sanchez said, adding that Spain could send more Leopard tanks later if needed.
According to Ukrinform, Spain is training troops to use Leopard 2 A4 tanks while it readies six tanks to Ukraine by late March or early April, according to Defense Minister Margarita Robles, as reported by Reuters.
Ukraine has long sought Leopard tanks, among other powerful Western made assets. As Insider previously reported, the Leopard 2 is a fast German-made battle tank originally designed in the 1970s that is has been upgraded over the years and can be found in the arsenals of nearly 20 different countries.
Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and senior advisor with the Center for Strategic International Studies security program, previously told Insider's Jake Epstein that the Leopard "is the right tank" for Ukraine given its availability in arsenals across the NATO alliance.
The Leopard 2 can travel at speeds up to 44 mph, is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore cannon, a 7.62 mm machine gun, and grenade launchers, and the armor provides protection against certain ballistic threats and mines.
Spain is one of several countries to pledge to send tanks to Ukraine. In late January, Germany finally agreed to send 14 Leopard tanks. Others like Poland have also said they will send these tanks.
The UK is preparing to arm Ukraine with its Challenger 2 tanks while the US plans to send 31 M1 Abrams tanks. The US vehicles weigh around 70 tons, can travel at speeds of up to 42 mph, are protected by composite armor improved with depleted uranium meshing, and are armed with a 120 mm main gun, a M2 .50 caliber machine gun, and two M240 7.62 mm machine guns.
In addition to promises to send tanks, the US, Germany, France, and Sweden have also promised a significant number of armored fighting vehicles, specifically the Bradley, Marder, AMX-10 RC, and CV90.
The British are presently training Ukrainian forces on Challenger tanks in southwestern England, and last month, US Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced that the US military was training Ukrainian troops in Germany, the Associated Press reported.
The combined arms training is focused on helping Ukraine use armor, artillery, and ground maneuver capabilities for an offensive push or to repel Russian moves.