Some countries of the former Eastern Bloc have announced their intention to hand over their MBT holdings to Ukraine in order to support them in the fight against the Russian invader.
Indeed, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia will send (in at least one case reluctantly) various versions, more or less updated, of the T-72.
Warsaw will receive in exchange, directly from Uncle Sam, the M-1A2 SEPv₃ (that is the heaviest battle tank in service today with its 73,5 tons of mass).
Slovakia, on the other hand, will receive IFV from Germany in exchange for its M-84s (Slavic version of the T-72) marten and TPz Fuchs 6x6, already in service with the Bundeswehr.
The Czech Republic has already delivered T-72 and IFV BMP-1 to Ukraine. This has not been officially confirmed. However, the images showing these vehicles on trains bound for Ukraine were posted on social networks. According to the Wall Street Journal, Prague delivered a dozen tanks.
On May 4, during a visit to Berlin where he met Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala obtained assurances that Germany would help his country replace military equipment supplied to Ukraine.
"We want to work closely when it comes to arms deliveries"Scholz said. “The Czech Republic can supply Russian-made weapons that Ukraine can use immediately. And we can help the Czech army maintain its capabilities. We call it chain exchange ", he added. For his part, Prime Minister Fiala confirmed that an agreement has been reached on a modernization project of the Czech Army with Berlin. "A political consensus on this issue was quickly found", he has declared.
Basically we are talking about Leopard 2A6 / 7 (photo).
Furthermore, having already delivered to Ukraine its S-300 long-range surface-to-air system (inherited from the Soviet period) and "grounded" its MiG-29 fighter jets in view of their eventual transfer to the Ukrainian air forces , Slovakia would like to benefit from the same orders that the Czechs will have.
Seen this, it could be an opportunity for the Italian Army to finally get rid of Ram (opening photo). Maybe a training course could be organized, for Ukrainian tankers, at the Cavalry School of Lecce and the armored brigade Ram.
After a few months of training we could send the trained crews, with the thirty C-1s still working, to Ukraine and ask for Leopard 2A6 tanks in exchange (in 2004 they were offered to us for 1,2 million euros !!!).
We are talking about an armored vehicle - theAries - with a survival capacity, in a conflict like the Russian-Ukrainian one, equal to that of a T-80 first version (to be optimistic).
Obviously when written above it will be absolutely unfeasible, we will keep ours Ramindeed, the update program that will cost the Defense will be launched 752 million euro and that it will only end in 2035.
By that date, the three tank regiments will have an MBT in service to say the least obsolete and completely useless.
Photo: US Army
