Leopard 2PL tanks defeat M1 Abrams and K2 in a tank competition in Poland

The Polish Army Ground Forces are one of the European armies that currently have the greatest variety of tanks.

The advanced M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks that the Polish Army is receiving from the USA
The characteristics of the Polish K2PL, one of the most advanced tanks in Europe

Today, the Polish Ground Forces have an armored fleet consisting of M1A1 FEP and M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks (manufactured in the United States), K2 Black Panther (manufactured in South Korea), various variants of the Leopard 2 (the Leopard 2A4, the Leopard 2PL and the Leopard 2A5), the PT-91 Twardy (a modernized Polish variant of the Soviet T-72) and some T-72M1 and T-72M1R tanks (most of these tanks have been donated to Ukraine to deal with the Russian invasion).

This week, the Świętoszów Military Base in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship hosted a tank competition. This competition had not been held for five years, since before the Polish Army received its Abrams and Black Panther tanks.

This competition has brought together tank platoons from three different units of the Polish Ground Forces: the 1st Tank Battalion Żurawica, equipped with M1A1 FEP Abrams tanks and representing the 18th Mechanized Division "Żelazna"; the 1st Tank Battalion Morąg, equipped with K2 Black Panther tanks and representing the 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division; and the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade, the host of this competition, equipped with Leopard 2PL tanks and representing the 11th Armored Cavalry Division "Lubuska".

The M1A1 FEP Abrams tanks of the 18th Mechanized Division "Żelazna" started with a slight disadvantage compared to their rivals, because according to the Polish military newspaper Polska Zbrojna, these tanks do not have a rear-view camera, so to make the competition more equitable, the cameras of the other tanks were covered during the obstacle course, which tested the drivers' skill.

The competition also included platoon fire directions, both day and night, in both defense and attack, as well as grenade throwing and the use of personal weapons from hatches. The final test was a long-range engagement, firing the main guns of those three tank models at targets simulating enemy vehicles and units.

The competition, which tested not only the tanks but also their crews, was very close. The M1A1 FEP Abrams were in the lead in the initial days, but ultimately the Leopard 2PLs of the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade took the trophy, followed by the Abrams of the 1st Tank Battalion from Żurawica and, in third place, the K2 Black Panthers of the 1st Tank Battalion from Morąg. The competition has been very close and has shown that not everything is based on technology.

The tank that passed this test, the Leopard 2PL, is a Polish-modernized version of the German Leopard 2A4. The first Leopard 2PLs arrived in the Polish Army in late 2020, featuring upgrades such as Polish-made third-generation night vision systems, new additional armor modules on the turret and chassis (the Advanced Modular Armor Protection, AMAP, system, which gives the vehicle a distinctive appearance), a splash guard, the removal of flammable components from the turret propulsion system and engine, a new fire protection system, new integrated diagnostic equipment, and the ability to use new types of ammunition.

This modernization plan envisions converting the entire fleet of Leopard 2A4s operated by the 10th Brigade, which consisted of 142 units, 14 of which were donated to Ukraine.

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Photos: 10 Brygada Kawalerii Pancernej w Świętoszowie.