Leopard tanks can be delivered to Ukraine no earlier than 2024
Delivery of Leopard tanks to Ukraine possible only in 2024
Even if the federal government decided to supply Leopard to Ukraine, it would not be possible immediately. According to the armaments company Rheinmetall, it would take until 2024. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian ambassador Oleksii Makeiev says: “German tanks are essential for survival.”
“Even if the decision is made tomorrow, the delivery will take until the beginning of next year”: According to the armaments company Rheinmetall, repaired Leopard battle tanks must first be converted for a war effort before they can be delivered to Ukraine.
DAccording to the armaments group Rheinmetall, it will not be able to repair Leopard 2 battle tanks for Ukraine until 2024 at the earliest. “Even if the decision is made tomorrow that we can send our Leopard tanks to Kyiv, the delivery will take until the beginning of next year,” said CEO Armin Papperger of “Bild am Sonntag” according to a preliminary report.
The group owns 22 decommissioned Leopard 2 tanks and 88 vehicles from the previous model, the Leopard 1. The repair will take almost a year, said Papperger. “The vehicles are not only repainted, they have to be converted for use in the war. They are completely dismantled and then rebuilt.” Without an order, the group cannot make the tanks operational, as this costs several hundred million euros. “Rheinmetall cannot pre-finance that,” said Papperger.
According to Papperger, the leopard could play a decisive role in the Ukraine war. “The Leopard main battle tank is extremely important for offensives and the recovery of territory,” said the manager. “With main battle tanks, an army can break through enemy lines and end a prolonged trench warfare.”
A debate has broken out in Germany about the possible delivery of battle tanks of this type to Ukraine. Partner countries of Ukraine have so far supplied the country extensively with weapons and ammunition, but not with Western-style main battle tanks.
Most recently, however, Poland and Finland had agreed to participate in deliveries of Leopard 2 tanks to the Ukraine, but they are dependent on the approval of the manufacturer, Germany. Great Britain offered Ukraine British Challenger 2 main battle tanks on Saturday.
Germany has so far promised Ukraine Marder infantry fighting vehicles and Gepard anti-aircraft vehicles. Papperger said Rheinmetall was ready to deliver 40 Marder tanks. However, the prerequisite would be that Greece would initially forgo the second tranche of its delivery from a ring exchange. “Of course we could give the remaining 20 martens planned for Greece to the Ukraine in a timely manner. Other vehicles would follow in April because we are working under high pressure,” said Papperger.
“The tanks will come”
The calls for the delivery of Leopard 2 main battle tanks are getting louder and louder. Poland and Finland are already considering handing them over. “I’m sure that this upheaval will also come on the German side,” says Maximilian Terhalle, an expert in geopolitics and strategy.
Rheinmetall has also started manufacturing cheetah ammunition for the Ukraine. “We will have finished producing the first batch of ammunition in June/July. By the middle of next year we will have delivered 300,000 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine,” said the CEO. “That’s a lot, so let’s hope that Ukraine’s cheetah ammunition problem is solved.”
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