German-made tanks may soon be used by the Ukrainian army in the conflict with Russian forces, as their manufacturer Rheinmetall announced that it can prepare about fifty for delivery to Kyiv.
“The first Leopard 1 could be delivered in six weeks,” Armin Paperger, head of the Düsseldorf-based arms industry, told Handelsblatt. Their surrender is subject to the approval of the German government.
These are older main tanks, which were withdrawn from service and taken back by the company. This is a common practice in the arms industry.
The chariots will need to be inspected and modernized. The training of the Ukrainian military in their use can be completed very quickly, Rheinmetal assured.
German Foreign Minister Alena Berbock spoke out in favor of handing over heavy weapons to Ukraine over the weekend, and the idea met with little opposition among members of the German ruling coalition on Monday.
“If the Ukrainians want the tanks, and they have told me, then it must be possible to find a way” to surrender, “Marcus Faber, a spokesman for the FDP’s parliamentary defense group, told Handelsblatt. His colleague from the Green Party, Sara Nani, also made it clear that he would approve the surrender.
The Leopard tanks that are being discussed for delivery are very old. The Bundeswehr, among others, uses the next model, the Leopard 2, which was first put into service in 1979.
In addition to tanks, Ukraine is also requesting the supply of armored personnel carriers. Reinmetal has in stock Marder vehicles that have been withdrawn from service and says it could send around 70 to Ukraine in six to eight months. The top 10 could be shipped in five weeks, according to the German arms industry.
SOURCE: AMPE
Source: Capital
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