Ukraine war
Only a “very small number” of Leopard tanks are still in combat use
Ukrainian soldiers repair a Leopard 2 tank. photo
© Andriy Andriyenko/AP/dpa
Germany handed over 18 modern battle tanks to Ukraine in March. After deployment to the front, the repairs take longer than necessary, as becomes clear during a site visit. There are several problems.
Lack of spare parts and damage caused by repair attempts by the Ukrainians: From the out Of the modern Leopard 2A6 battle tanks delivered to Germany, there are very few left in the defensive battle against Russia – Green Party Housekeeper Sebastian Schäfer is therefore calling for quicker steps to make them operational again.
The defense budget expert visited the industrial repair workshop (“hub”) in Lithuania together with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius before Christmas.
At the turn of the year, he wrote to the arms companies Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) involved: “Unfortunately, it has to be noted that only a very small number of the battle tanks delivered can still be used by Ukraine.” The letters are available to the German Press Agency in Berlin.
After much hesitation, the federal government handed over a total of 18 Leopard 2 tanks from the Bundeswehr’s inventory to Ukraine in March. The delivery is part of the aid against the Russian attack. There is now battle damage to the vehicles, but also significant technical wear and tear due to driving and shooting.
The hope that modern battle tanks could enable the Ukrainians to form attack centers in such a way that the heavily developed Russian lines can be penetrated has not yet been fulfilled. In some cases, the Ukrainians used the tanks differently than Western military planners expected.
Schäfer: Repairs take a long time
Repairs after deployment at the front now require more time than necessary. “Repairing the systems takes a very long time because, according to information in the hub, there is, among other things, a lack of suitable spare parts. In my opinion, there seems to be an urgent need for action to quickly improve the spare parts situation,” writes Schäfer. “There is also apparently a problem in that the Ukrainian army sometimes attempts to repair the tanks, which then lead to further damage to the main battle tanks. It must be examined to what extent this can be prevented by better training of mechanics or by providing instructions can.”
The question also arises as to why the lengthy transport of the defective tanks to Lithuania is still necessary. The maintenance center there is part of Lithuania Defense Services (LDS), the Lithuanian joint company of KMW and Rheinmetall. Schäfer writes to Rheinmetall: “According to your company, the supply of the first systems of the “Marder” type has now begun in Lviv. In my opinion, it would be urgently necessary to also have the option of repairing the more complex Leopard II systems in Ukraine create.”
However, Lithuania has proven to be a reliable partner for politics and the military in Germany in recent years. On the other hand, there were problems in both Poland and Slovakia with military cooperation projects for the repair of weapons systems for Ukraine. However, repairs in the Baltic States require a long transport route across Poland.
Demand for Taurus cruise missiles
Schäfer calls for aid to Ukraine not to decrease, but rather to be prepared for expansion. “The situation in Ukraine is very difficult,” the Green politician told the dpa. “We also need to prepare for a decline in support from the United States.” Unfortunately, the fact that Germany provides the most support after the USA is only nominal. In relation to economic performance, Germany was “only underperforming”.
“That has to change,” he demands. What is also necessary is “finally the delivery of long-range Taurus cruise missiles from the Bundeswehr’s stocks.” It is important to put Ukraine in a stronger position against Putin’s troops.