The Slovak Armed Forces received a third Leopard 2A4 main battle tank on 2 June, which was given to the 14th Trebišov Tank Battalion from Germany after The Slovak Republic transferred 30 BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles in Ukrainein August 2022.
Bundeswehr Leopard tank trainers are to train Slovak tank crews at the Lešť Training Center later this summer. On 17 April, Slovakia received the first two Leopard 2 A4 tanks to arrive from Germany. By the end of this year, the Slovak Army is to receive an additional 12 Leopard 2A4s, for a total of 15 of these main battle tanks.
All Leopard 2A4 MBTs must pass evaluations at the Záhorie Military Technical and Test Institute, where test firings of tank ammunition are currently taking place, in order to be allowed into service with the Slovak Army. The last Leopard 2A4 delivered to Slovakia underwent industry-level maintenance and repairs by Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH, as with the previous 2 Leopard 2A4s delivered to the country.
Previous tests were scheduled with a completion date of March 31. During the live-fire test, the tank platform’s 120mm Rh120 L/44 gun, which serves as primary armament, and the 7.62mm MG3 machine gun, which serves as secondary armament, were tested. The weapons were fired both while the vehicle was stationary and while it was in motion. During the test, it was shown that the smoke grenades could create a dense smoke screen to effectively conceal the tank’s location and mobility, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic.
The Leopard 2 MBT is a 62-ton, two-man, land-based platform in service in more than 16 countries, with more than 3,200 tanks. The Slovak Army is to induct Leopard 2A4 Main Battle Tanks into its Tank Battalion, an element of the Slovak Army’s Heavy Mechanized Brigade, as Slovakia’s main commitment to its NATO Allies is to bring the Brigade to full strength.
Read the original at Defence247.gr
