Ukrainian Engineers Retrofit Bergepanzer 2 with Reactive Armor and EW Systems
27 January, 2025 Ukrainian Bergepanzer 2 ARV, January 2025. Photo: t.me/BronyaKraken Ukrainian engineers have equipped the Bergepanzer 2 armored recovery vehicle with a heavy set of circular reactive armor, an electronic warfare system and grilles.
A photo of the armored vehicle was shared by the Zapiski Mazuty Telegram channel. The heavy-tracked armored recovery vehicle in the photo is one of more than 20 vehicles donated by the German government as military aid to Ukraine. The Bergepanzer 2, built on the Leopard 1 main battle tank chassis, was equipped with advanced technical features.
However, its protection level has proven inadequate against modern threats on the Ukrainian battlefield. Given the need to evacuate damaged equipment directly from the battlefield, the vehicle was additionally equipped with a massive set of reactive armor units that almost completely covered the area of the sides, stern and frontal part of the ARV.
Ukrainian Bergepanzer 2 ARV, January 2025. Photo: t.me/BronyaKraken
Due to high-quality photos, we can figure out what is mounted on the armored vehicle:
- 119 ERA on the starboard side
- 51 ERA on the upper frontal part
- 44 ERA at the stern
These are typical "66-2" containers of the Soviet Kontakt-1 ERA, each weighing 5.5 kg.
Each such container is equipped with two plates of 4S20 reactive armor elements or an alternative product, for example, the Knife (Nizh - ed.) ERA. If the left side of the vehicle was equipped with an equal number of units, all fitted with standard elements, the total weight of this setup would reach 2.7 tons. The vehicle's overall weight is further increased by the addition of grilles over the engine compartment roof in the aft section and an electronic jamming station designed to counter FPV drones.
The weight of the basic version of the Bergepanzer 2 is 39.8 tons. Given that the chassis from the Leopard 1 is designed to weigh more than 42 tons, this load should be acceptable.
Bergepanzer 2
The main purpose of the Bergepanzer 2 is to support armored units, evacuate damaged vehicles from the battlefield, restore damaged vehicles, assist in the installation and dismantling of engines and turrets, and provide support in the repair shop.
Bergepanzer 2 ARV of the German military. Photo: toysforboys4.eu
Bergepanzer 2 armored recovery vehicle of the German military.
Photo credits: toysforboys4.eu
The ARV is equipped with a crane, auxiliary tools, and specialized armor repair equipment. For field operations, the Bergepanzer 2 is also capable of transporting a spare tank engine on its aft hull. The crew consists of four people: a driver, a commander, a machine gunner and a radio operator.
The Ukrainian army is similarly retrofitting Leopard 1 tanks into service, installing Kontakt-1 and Knife reactive armor kits and folding anti-drone nets on the turret top.
Ukrainian Leopard 1A5DK, October 2024.
Photo: Ukrainian Ground Forces
This equipment has already successfully proved itself in combat: recently, a modernized Ukrainian Leopard 1A5 withstood a series of ten hits from Russian FPV drones with an anti-tank warhead.