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Swiss government supports the sale of 25 Leopard 2 main battle tanks

May 25, 2023

According to the Swiss Federal Council, it supports the proposal of the National Council's Security Policy Commission to decommission 25 stored Leopard 2 battle tanks. The Federal Council has authorized the head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), Viola Amherd, to represent this support in the parliamentary deliberations on the 2023 army message.

In February, Ministers Robert Habeck and Boris Pistorius asked the Swiss government to allow some of the decommissioned tanks to be bought back. The purchase should be made by Rheinmetall. The tanks would not be forwarded to Ukraine, but were used to fill equipment gaps in Germany or at NATO or EU partners.

According to the DDPS, the Swiss army currently operates 134 Type 87 Leopard 2 A4 WE tanks, which were modernized as part of the 2006 armaments program. In addition, it has 96 decommissioned tanks of the same type that have not undergone modernization. To fully equip the six tank battalions, the army needs another 34 tanks and twelve tanks for training. These should possibly be reactivated and modernized. 25 tanks are to be used as donors for spare parts and assemblies. Therefore, of the 96 stored tanks, 25 would be eligible for a possible donation, which can be decommissioned and sold without hindering the coverage of own needs.

If, in the next step, the National Council and the Council of States agree to the decommissioning, the Department of Economics, Education and Research will be commissioned by the Federal Council to assess a corresponding export application and submit it to the Federal Council for a decision. The next weeks of sessions in the two chambers of parliament are scheduled for the period from May 30th to June 16th.

Editorial / gh

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