Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: The head of the German arms maker Rheinmetall expressed his company’s inability to deliver refurbished Leopard 2 tanks in 2023. He added that the year 2024 would be the earliest possible time of delivery.
Speaking to the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, the Rheinmetall’s CEO Armin Papperger said that even if the go-ahead for the delivery were to be given “tomorrow” the delivery will not be prior to “next year”.
Papperger added that the company has 88 Leopard 1 and 22 Leopard 2 tanks, however, as the cost of refurbishment would cost hundreds of millions of euros any such work cannot be carried out without a contract.
He emphasized that Rheinmetall cannot pre-finance the order.
The CEO of Rheinmetall further explained that just a little less than a year is needed to repair the main battle tanks that had been decommissioned earlier.
Elaborating, he said that the vehicles were to be totally dismantled and rebuilt for wartime use. It was not just a case of repainting them.
However, Papperger expressed confidence that the Leopard tank’s role in the war in Ukraine could be decisive as main battle tanks are tremendously important for reclaiming territory during any offensive.
He added that with the tanks an army break through any enemy line and thus a prolonged war of position can be ended.
Germany’s government has not yet decided to deliver Leopard 2 tanks
Germany’s administration under Chancellor Olaf Scholz is still undecided on whether to deliver the Leopard 2s to Ukraine.
