Rheinmetall Could Provide KF51 Panther Tank to Ukraine
First revealed at Eurosatory 2022 the KF51 Panther took headlines as the first new German main battle tank design since the Leopard 2 was unveiled in the 1970s. Hosting a new 130mm main gun, advanced armor, and digital architecture it was touted as the first in a new generation of MBTs. However, initial interest has been fairly subdued, the Bundeswehr didn’t announce initial orders nor did the Qataris. The Norwegians, who expected to receive new MBTs in 2026, showed no interest in shifting their now-concluded MBT competition to accommodate the new Panther. It was clear this was just a showpiece, though suddenly that has come into question.
Armin Papperger, in an interview with newspaper Handelsblatt, revealed that he has been in discussion with Kyiv about the possibility of delivering a production KF51 to the Ukrainian Army. As CEO of Rheinmetall his words gave validity to an idea that would otherwise be brushed off as fantasy. What’s more remarkable is the suggestion it could be ready in 15 to 18 months. That suggests the system is fairly mature but how realistic this claim is can’t be known. Papperger also brought up the idea of manufacturing the vehicle in Ukraine once the threat of Russian cruise missile bombardment has faded. In the near term Hungary was suggest to be an ideal choice where Rheinmetall recently set up a plant to build the advanced Lynx IFV for the Hungarian Army. While Kyiv also expressed interest in the Lynx all this talk remains theoretical until real commitments are made.
If KF51 is built to what has been advertised it would be quite the beast. The 130mm gun is unmatched by anything currently fielded though it’s arguably overkill. The Ukrainians have shown that even the T-90M, Russia’s most advanced MBT, is hardly invincible and the US Army, who have the deepest pockets of all armies, has shown little interest in moving to a 130mm gun.
The more interesting features of the KF51 are its network-centric warfare features. Despite having an autoloader (which is no longer optional due to the massive 130mm cartridge) the KF51 retains space for a 4th crew member. The 4th member acts as a sort of subsystems specialist, managing a variety a robotic combat vehicles or doing higher level command and control while the commander focuses on the vehicle itself. Notably, the Panther is capable of carrying HERO 120 loitering munitions onboard, giving an organic ISR/strike capability. The inclusion of HERO and the 4th member greatly increase internal volume that needs to be armored resulting in a massive and vulnerable turret. While little is known about the US’ next generation MBT program it’s clear they’re moving in the opposite direction, pursing a crew perhaps as low as 2 and moving everyone into the hull.