Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine could be purchased from a private Belgian company.

OIP Land Systems hangars contain hundreds of different armored vehicles and are considered to be one of the largest private stockpiles of weapons in Europe.

The hangar houses 50 Leopard 1 tanks, 38 German Gepard anti-aircraft guns, 112 Austrian SK-105 light tanks, 100 Italian VCC2 armored personnel carriers, and 70 M113 armored personnel carriers.

“Many of these tanks have been sitting here for years. Hopefully, now is the time when they will finally see some action in Ukraine,” Freddy Versluys, Head of OIP Land Systems, said.

In total, his company stores about 500 armored vehicles.

After completing his military service, Versluys worked for nine years in the Belgian army in a unit responsible for the quality control of tanks and ammunition.

In 1989, he joined OIP, a company specializing in optical equipment, and then founded OIP Land Systems, a subsidiary that purchases old military equipment in the hope that it will one day there would be demand for them.

“Everything we do is legal here, we go by the books and have all the licenses needed,” said the OIP Head when replying to the “arms dealer” label.

The company bought tanks directly from European governments that were cutting their defense spending.

Through one of the big deals, Versluys bought 50 Leopard 1 tanks, which the Belgian government decommissioned in 2014, for €37,000 each.

“It was a market price due to the geopolitical situation at the time. But buying these decommissioned tanks was a massive gamble for us. Big, big risk,” he said.

For years, OIP Land Systems could not sell the Leopard 1 and Gepard because German law required Berlin’s approval for re-export.

New opportunities

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s decision to transfer Leopard 2 to Ukraine opened up new opportunities for the private company.

Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder reported that she had opened talks with OIP Land Systems, but accused the firm of trying to make a “huge profit” from the sale.

“Negotiations are still ongoing, but I am not going to pay half a million for a tank that is nowhere near combat-ready,” the Minister said.

However, Versluys denied that the Belgian government had approached him and said it was difficult to estimate the price at which he would sell the tanks.

“There is no point in talking about prices now because we need to check the condition of each tank and what needs to be upgraded,” he said.

He emphasized that it may take months and up to €1 million to repair each tank and prepare them to be used in Ukraine.

Versluys said that he was recently approached by a state arms exporter and importer of Ukraine about the possibility of buying his tanks. According to him, Ukraine’s allies have also been in contact with the company since Germany announced the transfer of its Leopards.

“We are open to all options. But the price must be fair, we are not a charity,” the Head of OIP Land Systems emphasized.