Switzerland sells back 25 main battle tanks to Germany
Germany has given the Swiss government assurances that the tanks will remain either in Germany, with NATO or with its EU partners
Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle
The Swiss government has approved the export of 25 main battle tanks to their German manufacturer, Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH, it said on Wednesday.
“Germany has given assurances that the tanks will remain either in Germany, with NATO or with its EU partners,” the statement said.
They will be used to supplement their armaments. The tanks cannot be sent to Ukraine, not even indirectly.
In September, parliament agreed to decommission this equipment on condition that it be sold back to the company that manufactured it. Following this decision, armasuisse submitted an export application to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
The resale of these tanks will not prevent the Swiss army from meeting its needs. The army currently has 134 Leopard 2 tanks in service and 96 in depot. The 25 tanks concerned will be taken from the latter.
Leopard 1 survey
These tanks have nothing to do with the Ruag machines stored in Italy, which have been in the news a lot recently. At the beginning of 2023, the German company Rheinmetall asked Ruag MRO if it could buy the 96 Leopard 1 tanks and then send them to Ukraine.
A contract was signed, subject to approval by the government. But the government refused the sale. It considered the operation incompatible with the law in force, particularly with regard to neutrality. An external investigation was opened at the request of the defence ministry and Ruag followed suit.
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