Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (57, SPD) was cross-examined for an hour today!
The central topic of the government survey in the Bundestag, in which she answered questions from members of parliament, especially the opposition, was support for Ukraine through arms deliveries from Germany.
What is likely to be particularly memorable from the debate, however, is Lambrecht’s tank blunder.
Because when asked by the European policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Florian Hahn (48), what the substantial difference was in the decision of the federal government not to deliver Marder tanks but Gepard tanks, Lambrecht said resolutely: “The cheetah is not a tank. That is the difference.”
The Secretary of Defense stated: The cheetah is “classified differently”. At least this is “the classification of the general inspector or the military advice. That’s the difference.” Lambrecht’s conclusion: “There have been no deliveries of western-style tanks so far and that’s why there will be no German solo effort.”
▶︎ The military historian Prof. Sönke Neitzel (53, University of Potsdam) on BILD: “Of course the cheetah is a tank, an anti-aircraft tank. It’s not a main battle tank that’s being fought over so hard right now. The distinction is somewhat intentional and shows the hesitation of the German government.”
Many Union MPs made fun of Lambrecht’s strange statement on Twitter. CDU politician Johann Wadephul posted the official name of the cheetah on Twitter: “anti-aircraft gun tank” – and the hashtag “expertise”.
The fact is: The army spokesman also confirmed to BILD: “It is an anti-aircraft gun tank.”
So what the minister probably meant: Compared to the Marder infantry fighting vehicle and the Leopard battle tank, the model is not a so-called “main battle tank”.
► Background: Main battle tanks are the most heavily armored and most flexibly armed type of tank. They are used to engage enemy infantry, main battle tanks and other armored vehicles on the ground.
The cheetah, on the other hand, serves in particular to protect the Panzer and Panzergrenadier troops from attacking aircraft and helicopters at low altitudes in the accompanying operation.
That means in plain language: Although both combat vehicles have very different functions – they are still, by name, TANKS!
But instead of clearly naming this difference, when asked how exactly the distinction was made with regard to classification or non-classification as a tank, the minister continued to ramble on:
“This is a military assessment that was also made by the advisors who are also available to us. The cheetah is there to protect critical infrastructure, for example – by shooting this tube into the air and being able to capture objects that are very far away. The tank cannot do that.”
And further: “So this is something different. Of course, both are heavy, both have large barrels, but it’s not a tank. And that’s why the decision was made to supply the cheetah, because it can secure critical infrastructure.”
Embarrassing: The defense minister isn’t adept at defense issues.
Lambrecht also emphasized the defensive character of the cheetah, i.e. that it protects critical infrastructure.
Lambrecht reported in the Bundestag that Ukraine would not attack targets on Russian territory with the artillery systems and multiple rocket launchers (Mars II) supplied by Germany. Her colleague, the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Resnikov (56), recently made this clear in Brussels.
Lambrecht in the Bundestag: “It was very important for my colleague Resnikov – he was in Brussels last week and took part in various meetings – to explain explicitly for Ukraine that these weapons are only used to defend itself. But that there will be no shelling from Russian territory as a result of their actions. He explained that explicitly and that’s why we have this certainty.”
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