Speculation about the future fate of the 96 Leopard 1A5 tanks purchased by Rheinmetall from the Swiss company RUAG has come to an end. They will be used to maintain other such tanks and their derivative vehicles globally.
The information was provided by German Aid to Ukraine, which received a response from the Swiss National Council stating that Leopard 1A5 tanks will not be used in the Ringtausch circular exchange program for transferring weapons to Ukraine. Instead, Rheinmetall plans to use its new acquisition to fill gaps in the maintenance of these tanks and vehicles based on them in other countries.
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It should be recalled that the issue surrounding nearly a hundred Swiss-made Leopard 1A5 tanks has been going on for two years. Due to the peculiarities of the country's legislation, the re-export of these tanks to Ukraine was prohibited. Despite attempts by all parties, Swiss officials ultimately permitted their sale to Germany under special conditions that prohibit any further supply to Ukraine of whole vehicles, components, or spare parts.
Given the restrictions imposed, it is clear why the tanks will be sent elsewhere. But are there truly so many users of these vehicles around the world that Rheinmetall's purchase makes sense?
The global market shows a significant demand for Leopard 1 spare parts. Turkey, Chile, Greece, and Brazil continue to operate these tanks. The latter even faces challenges modernizing its fleet due to a shortage of spare parts, which were supplied as military aid to Ukraine.
As for Leopard 1-based vehicles, the list is even longer, covering operators of Bergepanzer 2 armored recovery vehicles, Biber bridge layers, Dachs engineering vehicles, Gepard anti-aircraft systems, and Wisent 1 mine clearance vehicles. This results in a fairly extensive list of over a dozen operators requiring maintenance and spare parts.
As for Ukraine, 103 Leopard 1A5 tanks have been delivered so far, and another 32 units are expected to arrive by the end of the year. There are no known plans to supply tanks after that.
The situation with Switzerland highlights the existence of re-export bans on weapons to neutral countries and how this can hinder Ukraine's fight against russia. On the other hand, Rheinmetall managed to find an advantage even in such a situation, entering a market niche with significant demand.
Earlier Defense Express reported that Belgium had tested Leopard 1 with unmanned turret in Ukraine.
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