German Military Equipment Maker Rheinmetall Will Provide Leopard 1 Tanks To Ukraine

According to Swissinfo on April 11th, German military maker Rheinmetall was preparing to supply up to 50 used Leopard 1 battle tanks to Ukraine, the group’s CEO Armin Papperger said on the same day. The company could deliver the first tanks in six weeks and the rest over the following three months.

It was reported that Rheinmetall was the largest military equipment maker in Germany. The Leopard 1 battle tank manufactured by this company is the predecessor model of the Leopard 2 currently in service with the German armed forces, although the Leopard 1 tank was still the main ground combat power in many countries.

The report also mentioned that following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the German government had reversed a long-standing policy of not sending weapons to conflict zones, and instead Berlin had taken the initiative to supply Kyiv with massive anti-tank weapons and missiles. In this regard, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock pointed out Ukraine needed more military materials, especially heavy weapons, to defend itself from Russia’s attack.

It was learned that skilled Ukrainian military personnel could master the operation technique of Leopard 1 within a few days.