The German government has placed an order with defence contractor Rheinmetall for 32 Leopard tanks to support Ukraine in its war against Russia.
The vehicles are to be delivered next year, the company announced in Dusseldorf on Tuesday. They are Leopard 1A5 tanks, which is not the most modern version of the armoured vehicles.
The order is divided into 25 combat tanks, five armoured recovery vehicles and two driving school tanks, which come from industrial stocks.
The order value is reportedly in the upper double-digit million-euro range, which will include the costs of training, logistics, spare parts and maintenance work. The vehicles will be refurbished at two Rheinmetal plants in Germany to bring them up to scratch.
This is not the first Leopard order for Ukraine from the German arms manufacturer: In June, the Netherlands and Denmark ordered the delivery of 14 of the newer, but already outdated type 2A4, which are also to be delivered to Ukraine next year.
In addition, the Bundeswehr and armies of other NATO states have already handed over Leopard tanks from their own stocks to Ukraine.
It is common for tanks to be decommissioned after decades of use and sold to the industry at very low prices. They are then usually stored in poor condition. Such buybacks by the industry are ultimately a bet on the future, with the companies counting on the fact that there could be demand for the military vehicles again at some point.
With the war in Ukraine, this calculation worked out. However, modernizing the old tanks so that they are fit for combat is a time-consuming process. It takes several months before the vehicles are upgraded with new technology and ready for the front line.
Rheinmetall took a similar approach with Marder infantry fighting vehicles. It has so far received orders for 80 of these vehicles, a large proportion of which are now in service in Ukraine.
