The Slovak armed forces will soon receive 15 Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks as part of an exchange to replace Bratislava’s own equipment given to Ukraine, Rheinmetall announced on Tuesday.
According to a press release from German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, under the German government’s “Ringtausch” equipment exchange program, Rheinmetall will soon supply the Slovak Republic with main battle tanks and other military equipment. other. In return, the Slovak army will deliver military equipment to Ukraine.
The first vehicle will be shipped in December 2022 and deliveries will be completed by the end of 2023.
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The “Ringtausch” is a procedure developed by the German government in cooperation with Germany’s neighbors and its NATO allies to assist Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. Specifically, NATO member states are supplying Ukraine with Soviet-era heavy equipment in exchange for existing Western military systems.
Working closely with the German Ministry of Defense, the Slovak government and armed forces, Rheinmetall quickly negotiated the necessary contracts. These were signed on 15 November 2022 in Brussels by Martin Sklenár, Director of Defense Policy of the Ministry of Defense of Slovakia; Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, Director of the National Armament Department of the German Ministry of Defense; as well as Dr. Björn Bernhard, CEO of Rheinmetall’s Tactical Vehicles Business, and Eduardo Veen Martinez, Executive Vice President of Tactical Vehicles, Rheinmetall Business Unit.
Work on the vehicles has begun. As the property of Rheinmetall, the vehicles currently on offer are previously overhauled Leopard 2A4 MBTs in stock of various user countries.
