Rheinmetall is currently repairing 50 Leopard 2 and 100 Leopard 1 tanks
15 March, 2023 Leopard 2A5 of the Bundeswehr during exercises, September 2010. Photo from open sources Rheinmetall is currently repairing 50 Leopard 2 and 100 Leopard 1 tanks and plans to purchase 36 Leopard 2 tanks in Switzerland.
Armin Papperger, Rheinmetall CEO, shared this with NZZ. He stressed that Switzerland has reserve stocks of Leopard 2. If the Federal Council and Parliament decide to write them off, the company would be ready to purchase them.
However, Bern hasn't made any decisions on this at the moment.
Armin Papperger Rheinmetall CEO. Photo credits: Bild
In addition, Rheinmetall wants to purchase 96 Leopard 1 tanks from the Swiss Ruag company.
When asked by the journalists about these opportunities, Armin Papperger replied: "We purchased Leopard 1 tanks, but in Italy." At one time, Ruag purchased these tanks from Italy.
However, it is known that they were still stored in the country's warehouses.
Leopard 2 (Pz 87) tank of the Armed Forces of Switzerland. Photo from open sources
Armin Papperger also shared the details of the plans for the tank plant construction in Ukraine. He stressed that the construction concept was handed over to the German government.
"We must give Ukraine the opportunity to defend itself. Such a plant is not built in one day. Therefore, we need to start planning now," he said.
Papperger noted that to start construction, a decision by the Ukrainian government was required, as Rheinmetall would not own the plant, and the company would rent it.
Leopard 2A7V tanks of the German military. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Germany
"We will not finance this work, but it should be done by Ukraine or another country that will provide assistance to Ukraine. It would not be our plant either, but Ukraine is building it, and we are renting it," Armin Papperger said.
Ukraine should decide when construction can begin - either during the war, or after it is over. This plant would be able to produce new Panther KF51 main battle tanks.
KF51 Panther tank from the Rheinmetall, 2022. Photo credits: Rheinmetall
It was previously reported that Ukrainian tankers were completing training on Leopard tanks in Germany and Spain.
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