Germany Wins Strong Europe Tank Challenge

Stars and Stripes is reporting that the tank platoon from the German Bundeswehr has won the Strong Europe Tank Challenge at Grafenwoehr Training Area.  This was the first such exercise held since 1991 and included tank platoons from six NATO countries, Germany, Poland, USA, Slovenia, Italy and Denmark.  The German platoon competed with the Leopard 2A6 main battle tank, while Denmark and Poland used the Leopard 2A5.  The US platoon compete with the Abrams M1A2, the Italian platoon with the Ariete MBT and Slovenia with the M-84.  The German team was rewarded the top prize while Denmark took second place and the Poles secured third place.  It seems bragging rights may be in order for the Leopard 2 tank.

According to an article from www.army.mil, the competition consisted of the following:

Platoons rotated throughout the three events, vying for a possible 1,000 points. Crews conducted both offensive and defensive operations involving fire and maneuver for 350 possible points in each lane.

Mounted orienteering had a possible 300 points that was combined from six 50-point tasks, including a mystery physical challenge that emphasized teamwork. Platoons navigated through an obstacle course with 13 challenges. Soldiers fired 10 rounds from three different locations using their own service weapons during the combat pistol shoot lane. The vehicle identification lane tested the platoons’ abilities to identify 25 friendly and threatening vehicles while traversing through a course. Crews had to recover, hook up and tow vehicles while under a simulated chemical attack. Finally, multinational teams reacted to an improvised explosive device, assessed and treated a casualty, and requested a medical evacuation.