Switzerland’s RUAG wants to sell 96 Leopard 1s

The Swiss defense company RUAG wants to sell 96 German Leopard 1 tanks to transfer them to Ukraine.

Kirsten Hammerich, Senior Media Relations Manager of the company, shared this.

Company representatives have already submitted an official letter to the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs to obtain approval for the sale.

7 years ago, RUAG purchased these vehicles from the Italian military for further resale.

Now, the Swiss secretariat must make the final decision on the export. If the application is approved, the tanks could be moved to Germany for repairs.

Leopard 1 tanks will be received by the Rheinmetall enterprise, and after restoration, they will probably be transferred to Ukraine.

However, so far, Switzerland does not really support the provision of any equipment to Ukraine through third countries.

At the beginning of the year, RUAG already approached the federal authorities with the issue of transferring Leopard 2 tanks to Germany, albeit verbally.

Due to Switzerland’s strict stance of neutrality, the company is still expecting a decision, but for now, the prospects for selling Leopard 1 tanks are bleak.

Not only RUAG is interested in selling tanks. Previously, the Belgian OIP Land Systems, which has the largest private tank fleet, also expected to sell tanks to Ukraine.

Their 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.

In total, OIP Land Systems stores approximately 500 armored vehicles.