Swiss government approves export of 25 Leopard 2 tanks to Germany

Swiss Government Greenlights 25 Leopard 2 Tank Export to Germany for Tank Gap Fill

The Swiss government has made the move to permit the export of 25 decommissioned Leopard 2 tanks to Germany, as announced by the Federal Council on Wednesday. These tanks will head to Rheinmetall Landsysteme, with Germany offering guarantees that the tanks will remain within its borders or with NATO or EU partners to address an existing tank gap. Several European nations, including Switzerland, have opted to ship surplus Leopard 2 tanks to Germany, following the Swiss Government's approval.

The decision comes as a response to the request from Germany's Economics Minister, Robert Habeck, and Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, who both sought to acquire some of the Swiss-made tanks from Rheinmetall back in February. At that time, the duo pledged that these tanks wouldn't be dispatched to Ukraine. In September, the Swiss parliament granted approval for the decommissioning of 25 out of 96 decommissioned Leopard 2 tanks, paving the way for their resale. However, many right-wing conservative politicians voiced concerns about Switzerland's neutrality and military strength, opposing the decision. The Swiss army still maintains ownership of 134 Leopard 2 tanks.

Key Context and Implications

Here are the key circumstances and implications surrounding this process:

1. Military Aid to Ukraine: Various European countries, including Germany and Poland, have sent Leopard tanks to Ukraine to support its defense against the Russian invasion. This has resulted in a shortage of tanks within these nations' arsenals, necessitating the need to acquire additional tanks.
2. Germany's Request: Germany sought assistance from Switzerland to sell some of its inactive Leopard 2 tanks to Rheinmetall. This would enable the company to replace the missing tanks from EU and NATO member states.
3. Swiss Approval: The Swiss parliament agreed to decommission 25 Leopard 2 tanks, allowing them to be sold back to Germany to support Germany's efforts to replenish its tank inventory.
4. Usage of Tanks: The decommissioned Leopard 2 tanks will be used by Germany to replace its existing tanks currently in use in Ukraine. Germany has assured that the ex-Swiss tanks will no longer be sent to Ukraine, instead being utilized to bolster its own military capabilities.
5. Refurbishment and Deployment: The refurbished tanks will undergo further updates before being considered combat-ready. Delivery of the first batch of tanks to Ukraine is anticipated to take place in late March or early April 2023.
6. Long-term Strategy: This sale represents Germany's long-term strategy to manage its military inventory and set the stage for the eventual replacement of its Leopard 2 tanks with the new Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), currently under development.

References

[1] Source: [2] Enrichment data is integrated within the base article, without explicit mention.