Governance
Context: Germany has not decided whether to allow its Leopard 2 tanks to be sent to Ukraine which can be used against Russia during the ongoing war between the two countries.
About Leopard 2 Tank:
- It is a German made main battle tank.
- Developed by German weapons manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW).
- Leopard was first produced in the late 1990s for the West German army in response to Soviet threats during the Cold War.
- The Leopard 2 is one of the world’s leading battle tanks, used by the German Army for decades and by the militaries of more than a dozen other European nations, as well as by the armies of countries as far apart as Canada and Indonesia.
- It has seen service in conflicts in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Syria.
- Other Features:
- These tanks are armed with a 120mm smoothbore cannon.
- It is also armed with two coaxial light machine guns.
- They also provide “all-round protection” for troops from threats such as mines, anti-tank fire, and improvised explosive devices
Source: Indian Express
Previous Year Question
Q.1) What is “Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)”, sometimes seen in the news? (2018)
- An Israeli radar system
- India’s indigenous anti-missile programme
- An American anti-missile system
- A defence collaboration between Japan and South Korea
