The Leopard 1 can be delivered to Ukraine by manufacturers. The federal government has given the go-ahead. But there are still hurdles.
The federal government has approved the supply of Leopard 1 main battle tanks to Ukraine from industrial stocks. This means that the first models could soon be delivered to Ukraine. A government spokesman said on Friday. The older tank model was the export hit of the German armaments industry for a long time, more than 4,700 units were produced and most of the stocks were sold in nine countries.
However, there are still a few hurdles before the industry can hand over the remaining main battle tanks to Ukraine: On the one hand, the vehicles still have to be prepared. A spokesman for the manufacturer Rheinmetall recently said that 88 Leopard 1 tanks could be delivered. There were also 29 Leopard 2 models that were actually intended for a ring exchange and should be ready for use by March. However, these are apparently not yet included in the approval.
Ammo procurement seems difficult
Ammo for the 105mm gun of the first generation model also seems to be a big problem. Brazil, for example, has large stocks of ammunition due to the delivery of around 250 Leopard tanks, but the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has refused to pass it on – as in the case of the ammunition for the Cheetah anti-aircraft tank. Chancellor Scholz’s visit to Brazil a few days ago didn’t help either. President Lula emphasized that Brazil does not want to bridge the shortages with ammunition from stocks. Lula said, “Brazil is a country of peace. And that’s why Brazil doesn’t want any involvement in this war, even indirectly.”
Last year, the online portal “Business Insider” reported that manufacturers had offered the necessary equipment for 105 mm guns at gun fairs. These included companies such as the US company General Dynamics, MKEK from Turkey and HDS from Greece. However, it is not known whether there was a corresponding delivery request from Germany. The empty stocks suggest that at least there were no orders at that time.
The Leopard was not the only one with the supply problem: the German Gepard tank, which had already been delivered, turned out to be successful in the fight against Russian air raids. However, according to SZ information, Ukraine only has around 30,000 shots left and therefore hardly ever uses the cheetah in the field, but mainly to fight drones. As a rule, it is only used in economy mode, according to the newspaper. Immediately after the end of the World Cup final, German officials appeared in Qatar’s Foreign Ministry with a request to talk about the 15 Cheetah tanks and their ammunition that had been delivered to the Gulf state to protect the stadiums. Since then, attempts have been made to do business with Qatar, primarily to get more ammunition.
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Pistorius knows about the shortage
The new Defense Minister Boris Pistorius supports buying back the 15 Gepard tanks and ammunition: “The Cheetahs have proven themselves very well in the war in Ukraine. If we could get more from partners here, that would definitely help the Ukrainians,” he said the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. So far, the country has received 37 Cheetah anti-aircraft gun tanks.
Another large producer of ammunition is Switzerland. Most of the projectiles are produced there by a Rheinmetall subsidiary. Because of its neutral role, Switzerland is currently refusing to supply ammunition produced in its country. However, there is a glimmer of hope: the Security Policy Commission issued a recommendation a few days ago. In one initiative, it was said that material should be delivered to countries that could use it to support Ukraine in the war. Another possibility exists if the UN Security Council or a two-thirds majority of the UN General Assembly finds that there is a contradiction with the prohibition of the use of force under international law. But discussions are still taking place in Switzerland, and ultimately the Federal Council must decide.
