Switzerland has given the green light for the export of 25 main battle tanks back to their manufacturer, Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH in Germany, as confirmed by the Swiss government on
Wednesday.
The tanks are destined to complement German armaments, with assurances from Germany that they will stay within the country, with NATO, or among its EU partners, specifically ruling out any potential transfer to Ukraine, even indirectly.
Parliament previously approved the decommissioning of this equipment under the condition that it would be resold to its manufacturer. Following this decision, an export application was submitted by armasuisse to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
This resale won't impact the Swiss army's operational capabilities, as it presently operates 134 Leopard 2 tanks and has 96 in reserve. The 25 tanks slated for export will be drawn from this reserve.
Notably, these tanks are distinct from the Ruag machines stored in Italy, which have garnered recent attention. In early 2023, Rheinmetall, the German company, inquired about purchasing the 96 Leopard 1 tanks from Ruag MRO and potentially transferring them to Ukraine.
Although a contract was drafted, subject to government approval, the sale was ultimately declined. It was deemed incompatible with prevailing laws, particularly concerning Swiss neutrality. Subsequently, an external investigation was initiated at the behest of the defence ministry, with Ruag following suit. Photo by Hajotthu, Wikimedia commons.