Swiss government approves export of 25 Leopard 2 tanks to Germany
The Swiss government has given the green light for the export of 25 Leopard 2 tanks to Germany. The battle tanks are to go to the manufacturer Rheinmetall Landsysteme, as announced by the Federal Council on Wednesday. Germany has given assurances that the tanks will remain in Germany or with NATO or EU partners in order to close its own gaps. Several European countries had previously supplied tanks to Ukraine and thus thinned out their own stocks.
The decision was triggered by a request from German Economics Minister Robert Habeck and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who asked for some of the decommissioned Swiss Leopard 2 tanks to be sold back in February. At the time, they assured the government that these would not be passed on to Ukraine. In September, the small chamber of the Swiss parliament approved the decommissioning of 25 of the 96 decommissioned Leopard 2 tanks, paving the way for their resale to Rheinmetall. The decision had been opposed by right-wing conservative politicians out of concern for the country's neutrality and military strength. The Swiss army still owns 134 Leopard 2 tanks.
- For the approval of the Swiss Government, 25 decommissioned Leopard 2 tanks will be exported to Germany, which has guaranteed their usage within Germany, NATO, or EU partners to fill its own tank gap.
- Instead of sending tanks to Ukraine, several European countries, including Switzerland, have decided to export surplus Leopard 2 tanks to Germany, with the Swiss Government's approval.
- The Swiss Government's approval of exporting 25 Leopard 2 tanks to Germany comes after Germany's assurance that these Swiss-made tanks will be utilized within its borders or allocated to its NATO or EU allies.
Source: www.ntv.de
