M1 Abrams tank vs Leopard 2 and Challenger 2: What are the differences? trends now
The United States, Germany and more Western allies are poised to join Britain in sending heavy tanks to Ukraine in a move that could prove a gamechanger in Kyiv's war effort.
Washington is expected to send 30 of its fast-moving M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, while Berlin will initially supply at least 15 Leopard 2 tanks and give permission to other NATO countries - including Poland, Finland and Denmark - to deliver their own to Kyiv.
Britain was the first NATO country to announce it would send 14 next-generation battle tanks to Ukraine in the form of the Challenger 2 tanks.
And French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that he asked his defence minister to 'work on' the idea of sending some of France's Leclerc battle tanks to Ukraine.
Ukraine has been struggling to gain an advantage after battlefield successes as they have the same Soviet-era T-72 tanks that Russia has - meaning a delivery of Western tanks could be a gamechanger for Kyiv after 11 months at war.
Kyiv has pleaded for months for Western tanks that it says it needs to give its forces the firepower and mobility to break through Russian defensive lines and recapture territory.
Here MailOnline looks at how the West's tanks measure up against Russia's and what this might mean for Ukraine's war effort.
LEOPARD 2
Germany's 55-ton Leopard 2 tank combines aspects of firepower, protection, speed and maneuverability - making it adaptable to many types of combat situations.
The tank's manufacturer, Krauss-Massei Wegmann, has touted it as 'the world's leading battle tank' with a 120mm smooth bore gun and a fully-digital fire-control system.
The £5million tank has a crew of four and a range of 342 miles as well as top speeds of about 45 miles per hour (68km/h). Now with four main variants, its earliest version first came into service in 1979.
Germany's 55-ton Leopard 2 tank combines aspects of firepower, protection, speed and maneuverability - making it adaptable to many types of combat situations
The Leopard 2 is also diesel-powered - not driven by jet fuel that powers America's M1 Abrams - and is easier to operate than the big US tanks, and thus has has shorter training times, military analysts say.
Rheinmetall AG, a German defense contractor that makes the 120mm smoothbore gun on the Leopard 2, says the tank has been deployed by 'more nations than any other', with 3,500 units being supplied to 19 countries. More than 2,000 of those have been sent to over a dozen European countries and Canada.
It is this sheer number of Leopard tanks that has meant they are seen as the best option for Ukraine - as they would be easily deployable to Ukraine.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies estimates that three to six weeks of training would be needed for operating crews and support staff to reach basic proficiency.
Ralf Raths, director of the Panzer Museum in Munster, Germany, said experienced Ukrainian tank crews would likely be able to learn to use the Leopard 2 fairly quickly, and training could be shortened to focus on essential knowledge.
Western deliveries of Leopard 2s could help equip Ukraine with needed high-caliber munitions to replace its own dwindling Soviet-era stockpiles, opening a new avenue for supplies of Western firepower to get to Ukraine, Yohann Michel, a research analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said.
M1A2 ABRAMS
The US is expected to send its M1A2 Abrams tank to Ukraine in the coming weeks to help with their war-effort.
The £5million tank is equipped with a 120mm smooth bore cannon which is loaded manually by one of the four crew members and has a range of effective fire in excess of 2.5 miles (4km).
The 26-ft long tank also has a target acquisition system with hunter-killer capability as well as two 7.62 machine guns and another 12.7mm machine gun.
The US is expected to send its M1A2 Abrams tank to Ukraine in the coming weeks to help with their war-effort
The tank is also well-protected against all-known anti-tank weapons as it has Chobham composite armour, which is made up of steel and uranium.
The 71-ton Abrams tank, which was first produced in 1990, also has a range of 265 miles as well as a top speed of about 42mph. Its also features caterpillar tracks which helps it perform well as it moves across country.
But the tank, which is powered by jet fuel, is considered less suitable than the Germany's Leopard 2 and the UK's
