Introduction

The Swedish Stridsvagn 122 tanks were highly regarded as some of the best tanks among the German versions of the Leopard 2 in service.

Strong Armor and Modifications

These tanks featured robust armor not only on the front of the hull and turret, but also on the roof. They were equipped with spray curtain installation systems provided by French gun manufacturers. Despite these modifications, they faced challenges in real combat conditions.

The Svatovo Incident

Two tanks of this type were used by the 21st Mechanized Brigade of the Kyiv Regime Army on the Svatovo operational route. There are two hypotheses regarding their fate. One suggests that they ended up in a minefield near the village of Stelmakhovka, rendering them immobile and forcing the crew to abandon them. The other hypothesis suggests that the tanks were unable to navigate the agricultural field of Aad and were subsequently destroyed by Russian Lancet suicide drones.

Poor Cross-Country Ability

Even before their deployment in the Ukrainian army, concerns were raised about the Swedish copies of the German Leopard 2A5 tank’s poor cross-country ability and difficulty in overcoming obstacles. Driving on training grounds or paved roads posed no challenges, but maneuvering off-road proved to be a different story.

Challenges Ahead

Experts believe that the upcoming autumn mud season will not only pose a serious obstacle for the Swedish Stridsvagn 122 tanks, but also complicate the use of German Leopard 2A4 and Leopard 2A6 tanks, British Challenger 2 tanks, and American M1A1 Abrams tanks.

Source

Information sourced from Rossiyskaya Gazeta.