According to a report, Ukraine is receiving significant support from Germany: dozens of Leopard 1 tanks are to be delivered to the war country.
The federal government apparently wants to deliver significantly more Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine than previously known. According to information from “Spiegel”, the Federal Security Council approved the export of a total of 178 Leopard 1 main battle tanks to Ukraine at the beginning of the week.
The tanks therefore come from industrial stocks and, for the most part, have to be repaired before they can be sold. In the best-case scenario, a first tranche of Leopard 1 tanks will be delivered to Ukraine this summer, the news magazine reported.
Leopard 1 package from Italy
The new license for arms deliveries should be officially announced in the evening. The chancellor’s office has been negotiating discreetly with the arms industry over the past few months to finalize the deal. On the one hand, the Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft is now to prepare the 90 Leopard1 models that have been stored there for years and prepare them for use in the Ukraine.
According to “Spiegel”, the second Leopard 1 package comes from Italy. The armament manufacturer Rheinmetall secured an option for 88 stored Leopard 1 tanks months ago. Now that an export license for the Ukraine had become apparent, Rheinmetall initiated the purchase of the tanks and will now modernize them. The federal government will bear the costs for tanks and repairs. The money comes from a pot to strengthen Ukraine, according to the “Spiegel”.
Most of the delivery probably not until 2024
According to the report, industry sources said they could prepare several dozen Leopard 1 tanks for delivery to Ukraine by the summer or fall of that year. The majority will probably not be able to be delivered until 2024.
It is also possible that there will be a few fewer tanks in the end, because some of the stored tanks will have to be cannibalized for spare parts during the repair.
The Bundeswehr finally retired the Leopard 1 tank in 2003 and replaced it with the Leopard 2. The new model, the Leopard 2, is more heavily armed, faster and better armored than its predecessor.
