Only a "very small number" of Leopard tanks still in combat use

Ukraine war - Only a "very small number" of Leopard tanks still in combat use

A shortage of spare parts and damage caused by Ukrainian repair attempts: very few of the modern Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks supplied by Germany are still in service in the defensive battle against Russia - Green Party budget holder Sebastian Schäfer is therefore calling for faster action to make them operational again. The expert on the defense budget visited the industry's repair workshop ("hub") in Lithuania together with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius before Christmas.

At the turn of the year, he now writes to the defense companies involved, Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW): "Unfortunately, it must be noted that only a very small number of the battle tanks delivered can still be used by Ukraine." The letters were obtained by the German Press Agency in Berlin.

After much hesitation, the German government handed over a total of 18 Leopard 2 tanks from the Bundeswehr to Ukraine in March. The delivery is part of the aid against the Russian attack. The vehicles are now suffering from battle damage, but in some cases there is also considerable technical wear and tear from driving and firing.

Hopes that the modern main battle tanks would enable the Ukrainians to form focal points of attack in such a way that they would be able to penetrate the heavily built-up Russian lines have not yet been fulfilled. In some cases, the Ukrainians have used the tanks differently than Western military planners had expected.

Schäfer: Repair takes a very long time

Repairs after deployment on the front line take longer than necessary. "Repairing the systems takes a very long time because, according to information in the hub, there is a shortage of suitable spare parts, among other things. In my view, there seems to be an urgent need for action here to improve the spare parts situation quickly," writes Schäfer. "There is also apparently a problem in that the Ukrainian army sometimes attempts to repair the tanks, which then leads to further damage to the battle tanks. The extent to which this can be prevented through better training of mechanics or the provision of instructions needs to be examined."

The question also arises as to why the lengthy transportation of the defective tanks to Lithuania is still necessary. The maintenance center there is part of Lithuania Defense Services (LDS), the Lithuanian joint venture between KMW and Rheinmetall. Schäfer writes to Rheinmetall: "According to your company, the supply of the first "Marder" systems has now begun in Lviv. In my opinion, it would be urgently necessary to create the possibility of repairing the more complex Leopard II systems in Ukraine as well."

However, Lithuania has proven to be a reliable partner for politicians and the military in Germany in recent years. On the other hand, both Poland and Slovakia have had problems with military cooperation projects for the repair of weapon systems for Ukraine. However, the long transportation route across Poland has to be mastered for repairs in the Baltic states.

Demand for Taurus cruise missiles

Schäfer is calling for aid for Ukraine not to slacken, but to be prepared for an expansion. "The situation in Ukraine is very difficult," the Green politician told dpa. "We must also be prepared for the fact that support from the United States is waning." The fact that Germany provides the most support after the USA unfortunately only applies in nominal terms. In relation to economic output, Germany is "only in the lower ranks".

"That has to change," he demands. What is needed is "finally the delivery of long-range Taurus cruise missiles from Bundeswehr stocks". The aim is to put Ukraine in a stronger position against Putin's troops.