Rheinmetall can prepare Leopard tanks to be transferred to Ukraine within a year
15 January, 2023 Leopard 2A4 tank. Photo from open sources The German Rheinmetall has 110 Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 tanks in storage.
It might take a year to prepare this equipment to be transferred to Ukraine. Armin Papperger, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rheinmetall, shared this in an interview with Bild am Sonntag. When answering a journalist's question about Rheinmetall's possibility to transfer tanks, Armin Papperger noted that the enterprise has 22 Leopard 2 and 88 Leopard 1 tanks at its disposal.
"However, we can't get these tanks ready without the purchase order as the cost of works is several hundred million euros," he said.
Leopard 2A4. Photo from open sources
He stressed that the modernization could take about a year. "Tanks should not just be repainted but converted to be used in war.
They would be completely dismantled and then rebuilt. So even if tomorrow there is a decision that it is possible to send our Leopard tanks to Kyiv, the actual supply will be delayed until the beginning of next year," he said. The German government did not yet make a decision on the transfer of these tanks to Ukraine.
At the same time, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba mentioned that Ukraine plans to assemble a brigade of German-made tanks.
Leopard 2 tank of the Polish military. Photo from open sources
He also stated that five countries, Poland and Finland in particular, have already agreed to transfer tanks to Ukraine. Other unnamed countries are also willing to hand over tanks but are waiting for the German decision.
The UK has officially confirmed its plans to transfer Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine.
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