Ok, i´ve just heard the following news:
1. It seems Germany is giving it´s go to Poland to deliver the Leo 2 to Ukraine. They want to check it quickly and give it a go.
2. The US also seemingly wants to deliver Tanks to Ukrain. The M1 Abrams. How many is not known.
3. Also, now that the US seemingly want to deliver those Tanks, there are now talks that Berlin will also send (about 14) Tanks (Leo 2A6) from stocks of the Bundeswehr.
Edit: Today, the news confirms that Berlin will deliver the tanks.
Edit:
In other news, it seems new Bayraktars are coming soon....
I personally wouldn´t be surprised if those are soon been seen over Ukraine.
1. It seems Germany is giving it´s go to Poland to deliver the Leo 2 to Ukraine. They want to check it quickly and give it a go.
2. The US also seemingly wants to deliver Tanks to Ukrain. The M1 Abrams. How many is not known.
3. Also, now that the US seemingly want to deliver those Tanks, there are now talks that Berlin will also send (about 14) Tanks (Leo 2A6) from stocks of the Bundeswehr.
Edit: Today, the news confirms that Berlin will deliver the tanks.
Article translated via DeepL:
Germany will supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 main battle tanks after all. As ntv has learned from government circles, a Leopard 2 A6 company is to be handed over to the Ukrainian army.
After days of waiting, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has now decided to deliver battle tanks to Ukraine after all. As ntv has learned from government circles, a company of Leopard 2 tanks is to be handed over to the Ukrainian army. A company comprises 14 tanks in the German army.
Earlier, U.S. media had reported that the United States was also ready to deliver its own Abrams main battle tanks. Scholz reportedly made this a condition in a phone call with President Joe Biden. The Leopard 2 A6 is one of the newer variants of its type. The Bundeswehr received the first tank of this type in 2001.
Other European countries also want to supply Ukraine with Leopard 2s, including Poland. The NATO member has already applied to Germany for an export permit. This permission is also expected to be granted, dpa reports. Other European countries are also considering sending the battle tanks to Ukraine. Spain had already suggested this last year. Britain had already announced last week that it would supply 14 Challenger tanks.
Ukraine needs main battle tanks because supplies of Soviet-era models have dried up and its own weapons factories have been destroyed by the Russians. The tanks are to help defend against a possible Russian spring offensive and enable Ukraine to mount counterattacks or offensives on its own. According to information from Kiev, however, the army needs several hundred tanks. Last weekend, "Der Spiegel" had reported that the Bundeswehr had 312 Leopard 2 tanks of various series. The source was an internal Bundeswehr list. However, according to the report, only 212 of these are available.
Rheinmetall could supply 139 tanks
Leopard manufacturer Rheinmetall had announced this Tuesday that it could supply Ukraine with a total of 139 Leopard tanks - 22 of the 2A4 type, which the company itself owns and could repair within a year. In addition, there are 29 more that were actually intended for ring exchanges with other countries, but could be ready for service in three to four months. In addition, 88 Leopard 1 tanks, which are actually obsolete, are still in the yard.
Since last week, pressure had been mounting on the German government to make a decision on the delivery of the Leopard tanks. The new defense minister, Boris Pistorius, had said on ARD television that the decision would be made in the chancellor's office. Many observers had reacted with disappointment after Germany made no statement on the matter at last Friday's meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group in Ramstein. CDU leader Friedrich Merz criticized that the German government's actions had led to a loss of confidence among its allies. CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter had previously said that export permission for other countries would have been the minimum.
The tank issue had led to disagreements between Germany and the USA. According to reports, there had been intensive exchanges on this issue in Ramstein. The Americans had insisted that Germany supply Leopard 2 tanks. This is considered by some to be the best model in the world and is available in large numbers, especially in Europe, where ten countries use it. The US Army would first have to ship its tanks across the Atlantic. If different models were in use, Ukrainian soldiers would also have to be trained on different models and corresponding supply and repair logistics would have to be set up. This would be more costly than if only Leopard tanks were in service.
Scholz had publicly explained his hesitation only by saying that Germany would not go it alone and wanted to avoid becoming a party to the war itself. By "going it alone," however, he apparently meant acting without the Americans, since other European countries were prepared to supply Leopard tanks. This Wednesday, Scholz will make a government statement in the Bundestag.
FDP defense politician Marcus Faber welcomed the decision to ntv.de. "Ukraine urgently needs the tanks to convince the invading forces to go home." Now, he said, the training of Ukrainian crews can "finally" begin. "Consistent and rapid implementation is now crucial and at the same time the most important challenge for the new defense minister," Faber said.
Edit:
In other news, it seems new Bayraktars are coming soon....
I personally wouldn´t be surprised if those are soon been seen over Ukraine.
FFS, this thing looks like a bit like a F-35
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