BERN --- The Federal Council supports a proposal by the Security Policy Commission of the National Council (SPC-N) to decommission 25 Leopard 2 battle tanks. As she decided during her meeting on May 24, 2023, Federal Councilor Viola Amherd, head of the DDPS [defense ministry], will defend this point of view during the parliamentary deliberations in connection with the message on the army 2023.
At the moment, the army has a total of 134 tanks of type 87 Leopard 2 A4 WE, which were modernized within the framework of the 2006 armament program. It also has 96 other tanks of the same type which have not been renovated and which are immobilized.
On February 23, 2023, two German ministers, MM. Robert Habeck (economy) and Boris Pistorius (defense), have written to the head of the DDPS asking her to resell these disused tanks to Rheinmetall, the German company that produced them. They pledged not to transfer them to Ukraine, but to keep them for Germany or for other NATO or EU partners wishing to supplement their own armament.
On March 28, 2023, a majority of the National Council's Security Policy Commission requested the decommissioning of 25 tanks as part of parliamentary deliberations on the Message on the Army 2023, it being understood that this decommissioning should not intervene only in the event that the tanks are resold to the company that produced them.
The Federal Council supports this proposal and empowers the head of the DDPS to defend it during parliamentary deliberations on the Dispatch on the Armed Forces 2023.
The needs of the army remain covered
The 134 87 Leopard 2 A4 WE tanks currently in use are not enough to fully equip the army's six battalions with combat tanks. To do this, a total of 168 tanks would be needed. Therefore, it is necessary to examine whether it is possible to reactivate 34 of the 96 immobilized systems and modernize them for the troops. It is further planned to prepare 12 of them for instruction and to use another 25 for their spare parts and assembly groups. Among the immobilized aircraft, the army must therefore keep 71 87 Leopard 2 A4 tanks for its own needs.
The reactivation of some of these decommissioned tanks aims to develop land troops and responds to a decision of the Federal Council of May 15, 2019 in connection with the report on the future of the Land Forces. It was recognized that in the near future battle tanks would continue to play an important defense role. This was clearly seen during the war in Ukraine. The maintenance program for these tanks will also make it possible, as recommended by the report on the future of land forces, to reinforce two mechanized infantry battalions by granting them each a mechanized company equipped with combat tanks.
Thus, the army needs 71 tanks among the 96 which are immobilized. For the remaining 25 units, no assignment is foreseen; these can therefore be taken out of service and resold without this being done to the detriment of the army.
The Federal Council will decide on the application for an export license
Provided that the Federal Assembly accepts the proposal relating to the decommissioning of tanks submitted by the Security Policy Commission of the National Council, the Federal Council will instruct the DEFR to assess a possible export request and submit it to it. for decision.
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