Germany Boosts Ukraine's Tank Arsenal with 32 Leopard Tanks
Android giant Rheinmetall, headquartered in Düsseldorf, is set to supply 32 aging Leopard 1A5 tanks to Ukraine as part of a government order. These tanks will be delivered next year, according to the company's announcement. It's worth noting that these are not the latest models, but the Leopard 1A5, a somewhat older variant.
The order is broken down into 25 combat tanks, five recovery tanks, and two driving school tanks. All the vehicles will be drawn from the company's existing stockpiles. The reported value of this deal falls in the upper echelons of the double-digit million euro range, covering training, logistics, spare parts, and maintenance costs.
The refurbishment of these tanks will take place at Rheinmetall's facilities in Unterlüß and Kassel. This is not the first time that Rheinmetall has supplied Ukraine with Leopard tanks; in June, the Netherlands and Denmark also placed orders for more than a dozen of the already outdated type 2A4 tanks. Moreover, several NATO countries, including Germany, have donated their own Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
Modernizing the Past
Decommissioned tanks are often sold to the industry at pocket-friendly prices after serving for decades. These tanks, however, are frequently kept in poor condition in industrial stocks, anticipating future demand. With the escalating conflict in Ukraine, this gamble turned out to be a successful one. However, renovating these vintage tanks requires extensive time and resources. It can take several months to upgrade them with state-of-the-art technology and make them battle-ready.
Rheinmetall has employed a similar strategy with Marder infantry fighting vehicles, having secured orders for over 80 such vehicles. A significant portion of these refurbished tanks are now in operation in Ukraine.
- Germany's Federal Government has ordered 32 Leopard 1A5 tanks from Rheinmetall, which, after refurbishment at their Unterlüß and Kassel facilities, will be delivered to Ukraine to bolster its defense against Russia.
- Although these Leopard 1A5 tanks are not as advanced as their Leopard 2 counterparts, they still represent a significant addition to Ukraine's military arsenal and demonstrate a unified NATO defense strategy against Russia.
- Germany, along with other NATO nations, has provided Leopard tanks from their respective stockpiles to Ukraine, demonstrating a coordinated approach to supporting Ukraine's defensive capabilities.
Leveraging Secondhand Leopards
Contemporary sources mention that Belgium's decommissioned Leopard 1 tanks have been sold to another European country, which eventually supplied these tanks to Ukrainian forces. The exact number and the identity of the purchasing nation remain undisclosed due to a confidentiality clause.
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Germany delivers more Leopard tanks to Ukraine
The arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has received an order from the German government for 32 Leopard tanks to support Ukraine in the war against Russia. The vehicles are to be delivered next year, according to the company in Düsseldorf. These are Leopard 1A5 tanks, i.e. older models. The order is divided into 25 combat tanks, five recovery tanks and two driving school tanks, which will come from industrial stocks. The order value is reportedly in the upper double-digit million euro range, which will pay for training, logistics, spare parts and maintenance work.
The vehicles will be refurbished at the Rheinmetall sites in Unterlüß and Kassel. This is not the first Leopard order for Ukraine from the German arms manufacturer. In June, the Netherlands and Denmark ordered the delivery of 14 tanks of the newer, but already outdated type 2A4; these steel giants are also to be handed over to Ukraine next year. In addition, the Bundeswehr and armies of other NATO states have already handed over Leopard tanks from their own stocks to the Eastern European state.
