Switzerland sells 42 surplus Leopard 2 Battle Tanks (Pz 87 Leo) to the manufacturer Rheinmetall

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Defense News - Switzerland
 

Saturday, 20 November 2010, 10:02 AM

 
Switzerland sells 42 surplus Leopard 2 Battle Tanks (Pz 87 Leo) to the manufacturer Rheinmetall.
 
 
Switzerland sells 42 surplus Leopard 2 Battle Tanks (Pz 87 Leo) to the manufacturer Rheinmetall. The battle tanks supplied without armament and further components will be converted to protected special vehicles.
     
     

Following the reduction of military strengths in connection with Armed Forces 95 and Armed Forces XXI, various weapon systems were decommissioned, mothballed, sold, or disposed of. The Leopard 2 Battle Tank (Pz 87 Leo) is one of many systems which are no longer needed in the originally procured quantity. Part of the Pz 87 Leo fleet was therefore mothballed at various storage sites.

Since in its Armed Forces Report the Federal council defined the basic data for a smaller defence force, the way was cleared for the sale of the Pz 87 Leo no longer needed, or parts thereof.

From the units of the Pz 87 Leo fleet of the Swiss Armed Forces, which are not foreseen for the quality maintenance program and not among the vehicles designated as spare material, 42 vehicles are now sold to the German company Rheinmetall Landsysteme, which will use these vehicles as basis (chassis) for support vehicles.

Takeover of the vehicles destined for Rheinmetall will begin still this year. Rheinmetall Landsysteme is part of the consortium in the Federal Republic of Germany which produced the Leopard 2 Battle Tank.

The Pz 87 Leo delivered to Rheinmetall Landsysteme are not sold in fully equipped condition. Among others, the following assemblies are removed: armament, radio-and inter-phone systems. The components which are not supplied are used as spare parts by the Swiss Armed Forces.