Synopsis
Ukrainian tank operators have been going through a condensed 30-day training course on the Leopard tanks in Poland.
Military instructors from Canada, Norway and Poland have been training the Ukrainians both in virtual simulators and in live-fire and manoeuvre exercises. The training took place at the Leopard training centre in Świetoszow, Poland.
The Polish-led programme is aimed at helping Ukraine uphold its right to self-defence enshrined in the UN Charter against Russia’s war of aggression.
Footage includes shots of Ukrainian tank operators driving Leopard tanks and training on simulators. It also includes interviews with Polish and Canadian instructors.
Transcript
---SHOTLIST—
(00:00) VARIOUS SHOTS – UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS DRIVING A POLISH LEOPARD TANK ACROSS TRAINING GROUND
(00:51) WIDE SHOT - POLISH LEOPARD TANK AIMING MAIN GUN AT THE RANGE
(00:58) CLOSE-UP SHOT - CANADIAN RANGE CONTROL OFFICER GIVES INSTRUCTIONS ON A RADIO
(01:03) VARIOUS SHOTS - POLISH LEOPARD TANK FIRING MAIN GUN
(01:30) WIDE SLOW MOTION SHOT (NO SOUND) - POLISH LEOPARD TANK FIRING MAIN GUN AT NIGHT
(01:36) WIDE SHOT - POLISH LEOPARD TANK FIRING TRACER ROUNDS FROM MACHINE GUN
(01:42) WIDE SLOW MOTION SHOT (NO SOUND) - POLISH LEOPARD TANK FIRING MAIN GUN
(01:49) MEDIUM SHOT - UKRAINIAN TANKER ENTERS A LEOPARD DRIVING SIMULATOR
(01:52) MEDIUM SHOT - LEOPARD TANK DRIVING SIMULATOR IN ACTION
(01:57) VARIOUS SHOTS - UKRAINIAN TANKERS OPERATING A LEOPARD TANK DRIVING SIMULATOR
(02:00) MEDIUM SHOT - POLISH LEOPARD TANK INSTRUCTORS OBSERVING A DRIVING SIMULATOR
(02:07) MEDIUM SHOT - UKRAINIAN TANKER OBSERVING A DRIVING SIMULATOR
(02:15) VARIOUS SHOTS - UKRAINIAN TANKER OPERATING A LEOPARD TANK DRIVING SIMULATOR
(02:29) MEDIUM SHOT - UKRAINIAN TANKERS OPERATE A SIMULATED GUN PLATFORM
(02:40) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) CPT STEFANOWICE, DEPUTY COMMANDER, LEOPARD TRAINING CENTRE, POLISH ARMED FORCES
“So first we start out with the theory in the classrooms, then we go for the simulators with the basics like starting up the engine, some basic manoeuvres, and then we proceed onto real tank, training on a tactical strip and introducing some tactics and how to act during live firing exercises and such. So depending at what point we are during the training, we basically are either on the simulators or on the real tanks out in the field.”
(03:08) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) CPT STEFANOWICE, DEPUTY COMMANDER, LEOPARD TRAINING CENTRE, POLISH ARMED FORCES
“So even though the training is 12 hours a day, even at the end of the day, they still want to learn more and get some more experience, work a bit more on the tank they have questions all the time because the stakes for them are very high. They want to know as much as they can once they get back to Ukraine.”
(03:26) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) CPT BRITTNEY SHKI-GIIZIS, LORD STRATHCONA’S HORSE REGIMENT, CANADIAN ARMY
“We have 30 days to do this course and typically this course runs for about three months in Canada so it's definitely very condensed however, the Ukrainians that are here have come from tank platforms already, the T series tank, so they already come with that knowledge of gunnery and knowledge of mechanical systems so it really ends up being more of a conversion course, just not necessarily teaching them how to be tankers, but teaching them how to use this particular tank.”
(03:52) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) CPT BRITTNEY SHKI-GIIZIS, LORD STRATHCONA’S HORSE REGIMENT, CANADIAN ARMY
“So the Leopard tank brings a lot more accuracy than the T series tanks. It brings a lot more distance in which it can engage a lot more speed moving both forward and backwards for example if you compare the T series tanks, they go about five kilometres per hour backwards, whereas the Leopard can reach 30, 40 kilometres going backwards easily so it's definitely a more advanced system and it brings a lot more benefits to the battlefield for the Ukrainian side.”
(04:20) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) BRIGADIER GENERAL GRZEGORZ BARABIEDA, COMMANDER 10TH ARMOURED CAVALRY BRIGADE, POLISH ARMED FORCES
“What's important, we are not alone as Polish instructors. We are having here our colleagues and experts from Norway and Canada and that's absolutely added value because this is an international effort for all training of our Ukrainian soldiers.”
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