Status: 03.02.2023 09:38 a.m
According to a report, the federal government has given the go-ahead for further tank deliveries to Ukraine. Accordingly, it is about older battle tanks of the “Leopard 1” type. There should still be problems with ammunition procurement.
The federal government apparently wants to allow the transfer of “Leopard 1” battle tanks from industrial stocks to Ukraine. This is reported by the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. However, the approval has not yet been formally granted, as the dpa news agency wrote, citing information from government circles.
Report: Industry could deliver “Leopard 1”.
According to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, which also cites information from government circles in its report, Rheinmetall and the Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) want to prepare dozens of “Leopard 1” tanks and could supply them to Ukraine for the fight against Russia. According to the report, however, there are still problems in obtaining the required 105-millimeter ammunition.
Although Brazil still has large stocks of ammunition due to the delivery of around 250 “Leopard” tanks from Germany, the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has so far refused to pass it on, as it did with the ammunition for the “Gepard” anti-aircraft tank.
Ukraine lacks ammunition for “cheetahs”
According to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, the Ukraine only has around 30,000 rounds left for the “cheetahs”, which severely limits the possible uses. Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is therefore also in favor of buying back 15 “Gepard” tanks and ammunition from Qatar.
So far, Ukraine has already received 37 of the anti-aircraft gun tanks. Switzerland has so far refused to pass on “cheetah” ammunition produced in the Confederation.
In the medium term, starting in July, a new production facility at Rheinmetall in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony, should solve the problem. According to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, the Bundeswehr will probably order 150,000 shots in two variants twice. One is therefore particularly suitable for combating air targets because of its fragmentation effect. With another variant you have to hit the target directly, but this can be produced faster.
Delivery of “Leopard 2” is to come
Before the possible release for the delivery of “Leopard 1” tanks, the federal government had already decided to deliver 14 pieces of the more modern “Leopard 2” main battle tanks from Bundeswehr stocks to Ukraine. In addition, it allowed other countries to supply such German-made battle tanks.