스페인의 우크라이나 지원 레오파드2 전차의 이동 경로가 공개됨

[위종민]

스페인이 2024년 7월 15일 레오파드2 A4 MBT 10대를 우크라이나에 기증했는데, 그간 보안상 이유로 공개되지 않았던 이동경로를 공개했네요. 스페인 북부 페롤 항에서 7월 13일 토요일 Ro-Ro 선박에 실려 폴란드 북부 그디니아 항으로 옮겨진 뒤 철도를 통해 우크라이나로 옮겨집니다. 항로 길이는 1,584해리로 16노트 항해시 4일 3시간이 걸려 7월 17일 15:00시에, 12노트 항해시 7월 19일 03:00시에 도착한다고 합니다. 

스페인과 포르투갈은 1,425mm 표준궤가 아니라 광궤(1,668mm) 규격이라 철도운송 대신 연안해운 수송을 택한 것 같습니다. 잠수함이나 사보타주에 당하면 어쩌려고... 표준궤가 1,435mm로 아는데 기사상엔 1,425mm라고 표기돼 있네요. 

스페인은 이번 기증으로 우크라이나에 총 20대의 레오파드2를 기증했습니다. 

https://www.army-technology.com/news/spain-reveals-delivery-route-for-ukraine-bound-leopard-2a4-tanks/?cf-view

Spain reveals delivery route for Ukraine-bound Leopard 2A4 tanks

Spain has broken with usual convention to provide details about the delivery route and method for Leopard 2A4 tanks it is donating to Ukraine.

Richard ThomasJuly 16, 2024

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The ten Leopard 2A4 MBTs were refurbished before beginning their delivery journey to Ukraine. Credit: Spainish Ministry of Defence

Spain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has revealed details of the delivery route that is taking ten refurbished Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks (MBT) to Ukraine, a near-week-long journey by sea through to Poland, before onward transit over the border.

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By GlobalData

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Announcing the planned delivery of the ten MBTs to Ukraine on 15 July 2024, taking Spain’s total number of Leopard 2A4s to Ukraine to 20 vehicles, the Spanish MoD stated that the “multimodal transport” of the tanks had “begun”.

The shipment of ten Leopard 2A4 tanks was accompanied by “various backhoes and a significant number of anti-tank [munitions]”, the Spanish MoD added.

Since Russia’s large-scale invasion in February 2022, Western and Nato allies have sought to provide Ukrainian forces with an ever-increasing range of military platforms, equipment, and ammunition, in a bid to prevent the overthrow of the government of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

While at first this saw the provision of soldier operated anti-tank and anti-air missile systems, in time the size and capability of donated equipment escalated, reaching the MBT tipping point in early-2023 when the UK committed 14 Challenger 2 tanks.

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A German Leopard 2 tank being transported by train in Lodz Region, Poland, months after the outbreak of the main Ukraine-Russia war. Credit: Fotokon via Shutterstock

Since then, Ukraine’s military has benefitted from the provision of a huge range of MBTs, from ex-Soviet design Russian vehicles still operational in old eastern bloc countries, to modern Western platforms such as the US Army’s M1A1 Abrams, the UK’s Challenger 2, or the European Leopard 2.

Analysis carried out by Army Technology calculates that Western Nato members and other allies of Ukraine have provided, pledged, or ordered between 692 to 819 MBTs, ranging from older 105mm-armed Leopard 1 variants and T-72s, to modern Challenger 2 and relatively new M1A1 Abrams.

The lower number donates platforms provided, with the upper number includes those platforms pledged or on order and not yet delivered.

Spain’s Leopard MBTs to travel by sea to Poland

However, despite hundreds of tanks having been delivered to Ukraine over the past two years, the exact transport routes from their various donor countries are not readily disclosed due to security reasons.

It is atypical for a Nato member state to provide exact or indicative timings and methods of delivery of equipment being donated to Ukraine.

While some deliveries are relatively straightforward, such as from countries sharing a border with Ukraine or else neighbouring Poland, other, such as in Spain’s case, require a more complex logistical train.

According to analysis by GlobalData’s Railway Technology outlet, Spain, along with Portugal, operate a different gauge of rail infrastructure (1,668mm) compared to other European countries (1,425mm), which would make a land transport of the Leopard 2A4 tanks from Spain to Poland difficult.

As the gauges change from Spain to France, and onwards through Europe to a delivery destination, the tanks would have to transferred to different size trailers, a lengthy and complex process.

Instead, Spain’s MoD has revealed the exact shipping route the tanks and munitions are taking, having been transported from Seville, where the vehicles were being refurbished at the Santa Bárbara Sistemas factory in Alcalá de Guadaira, to Ferrol, which was carried out “last week”.

Once loaded onto a Ro-Ro vessel for the second phase of delivery, the Leopard 2A4s left Ferrol at “midday on Saturday 13 July”, with the ship “expected to arrive in a Polish port before next weekend”, Spain’s MoD stated on 15 July.

At the higher top-end speed for a commercial Ro-Ro vessel of 16 knots (kt), the 1,584 nautical miles from Ferrol to Gdynia would take four days and three hours, indicating an arrival in Poland at around 15:00 hours on 17 July. At a slower speed of 12kt, the tanks would theoretically arrive at 03:00 hours on 19 July.

Ukraine-bound MBTs receive protection during journey

Once in Poland, the MBTs will begin their “protected land transport” to the point of delivery to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which will then assume responsibility for the final phase of movement through Ukraine ahead of being made operational.

“Security measures are being taken at all stages of this important movement,” Spain’s MoD stated. “With this new shipment of Leopard 2A4 tanks, Spain has donated a total of 20 of these tanks to Ukraine, with plans to prepare or donate another new set during the second half of 2024.”

Although it is not clear which port on Poland’s coast will be utilised, the infrastructure at Gdynia appears ideally placed to accommodate such large vehicles, offering railheads or road network for onward delivery.

In the east of Poland, it is widely known that the regional airport at Rzeszów is a logistics hub for military equipment deliveries to Ukraine, located some 50km from the border.

Direct rail line connects Poland and Ukraine in the Rzeszów region, with the route crossing the border between the towns of Medyka, Poland, and Shehyni, Ukraine.

[ssn688]

협궤라 전차를 못 나르는 게 아니라 광궤라서 스페인 밖을 벗어날 수 없어 못 나르다니... OTL ; 여기도 고속철 구간은 표준궤이고, 심야에 다이어 여유 있을 때 화차 보내자면 보낼 수 있었을지 모르겠는데... 그냥 해상운송이 낫다고 생각했는지 모르겠습니다.

[위종민]

전차 10대 + @ 정도의 화물이면 그냥 화차 1편성이면 충분했을 것 같고, 환적이 크게 부담됐을 물량도 아닐 것 같은데요. 그냥 배 한척 전세내서 보내는 게 편했었나 봅니다.