The Belgian division of the international defense company KNDS has supplied Ukraine with thousands of rounds of ammunition for Leopard 1 tanks.
This is reported by the Forces operations blog.
In June 2023, the Belgian government ordered 105-mm ammunition for the Ukrainian army worth €32.4 million. The contract for the production of shells was signed with the Belgian branch of KNDS (formerly Mecar).
However, only now it has become known that the ordered shells are intended for 105-mm guns of Leopard 1 tanks, a large number of which are to enter service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2023.
According to the Forces operations blog, the contract has now been finalized, and “thousands of units” of ammunition have been delivered to Ukraine.
The exact quantity and types of ammunition ordered for the Ukrainian army are currently unknown. However, the publication has published photos from the production facility, which can be used to determine the type and brand of the shells ordered.
The photo portrays shells being prepared for filling with explosives. They are identical in shape to the M393A3 and M467A1 HESH munitions, which contain 3 kilograms of explosives inside a steel body.
The HESH (high-explosive squash head) munition is a type of explosive projectile with plastic explosive. Upon impact, its body is destroyed, and the explosive “spreads” over the armor plate, after which it explodes, forming a large amount of debris on the opposite side of the obstacle (from the inside) that hit the crew and equipment.
In addition, M416A1 phosphorus shells have the same shape. Their use in hostilities is not prohibited for the Ukrainian army, but is limited in places where civilians are concentrated.
In addition to the above, Mecar also specializes in the production of conventional high-explosive, HEAT, and 105 mm armor-piercing discarding sabot rounds for L7 guns.
It is worth noting that the Belgian company is mass-producing the best serialized APFSDS rounds in this caliber to date – the 105-mm M1060A3. It is capable of penetrating up to 520 mm of homogeneous armor at a 60-degree angle at a distance of 2,000 meters.
This figure is the limit for defeating Soviet T-72Bs in the frontal projection and is sufficient for younger models, as well as T-80BV and T-64BV. It is unknown whether this ammunition was included in the Belgian contract for the supply of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.