The German Federal Security Council approved the supply of 178 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine from industrial stocks.
This is reported by the German edition of Spiegel.
This solution allows the export of Leopard-1 tanks from the Rheinmetall and Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) groups.
According to the publication, the first tanks will arrive in Ukraine in the summer, but most of them – not earlier than next year.
Subsequently, information about the transfer of tanks to Ukraine was also confirmed by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Tagesspiegel reports.
According to him, Ukraine will receive more than 100 Leopard 1A5s – at least three battalions will be equipped with tanks before the first or second quarter of 2024:
- 20 to 25 tanks will be delivered by summer;
- by the end of the year to 80, with the goal of reaching over 100 during the first or second quarter of 2024.
Last week, the German government has already agreed in principle to the export of tanks.
The Leopard 1 is the first battle tank built for the Bundeswehr after World War II. From 1965 to the mid-1980s, 4.7 thousand units were produced. The Bundeswehr retired the last Leopard 1 tanks 20 years ago.
Source: Spiegel, Tagesspiegel
Source: Racurs
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