Beneath the German authorities’s “Ringtausch” gear alternate programme, Rheinmetall will quickly be supplying the Slovak Floor Forces with predominant battle tanks and different navy {hardware}. The Slovak armed forces will likely be receiving 15 Leopard 2A4 predominant battle tanks. The order consists of ammunition in addition to a service bundle encompassing coaching and spare components. The primary automobile is because of be shipped in December 2022, with supply to be full by the tip of 2023. This has now been contractually agreed in Brussels between representatives of each international locations and Rheinmetall. The “Ringtausch” is a process developed by the German authorities in cooperation with Germany’s neighbours and NATO allies to assist Ukraine in its combat towards Russian aggression.
Particularly, NATO member states are offering Ukraine with Soviet-era heavy gear in alternate for available Western navy programs. Working in shut cooperation with the German Ministry of Defence and the Slovak authorities and armed forces, Rheinmetall swiftly negotiated the mandatory contracts. These have been signed on fifteenth November 2022 in Brussles by Martin Sklenár, Defence Coverage Director of the Slovak Ministry of Defence; Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, Nationwide Armaments Director within the German Ministry of Defence; in addition to Dr. Björn Bernhard, CEO of Rheinmetall’s Enterprise Unit Tactical Autos and Eduardo Veen Martinez, Government Vice President Rheinmetall Enterprise Unit Tactical Autos.
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Work on the autos has already begun. The property of Rheinmetall, the autos now being made accessible are overhauled Leopard 2A4 Major Battle Tanks previously within the inventories of assorted person states. Leopard 2A4 tanks together with ammunition, spare components and crew coaching from Germany in alternate for giving Ukraine its 30 Soviet-era BVP-1 infantry preventing autos. The Leopard 2 is a third era predominant battle tank initially developed by Krauss-Maffei within the Nineteen Seventies for the West German Military. Varied variations have served within the armed forces of Germany and 13 different European international locations, in addition to a number of non-European nations, together with Canada, Chile, Indonesia and Singapore.
BMP-1s have been produced beneath license by Czechoslovakia (BVP-1). 2,252 ordered in 1973 and delivered between 1973 and 1989. Slovak Armed Forces intends to decommission their navy gear inherited following the breakup of former Czechoslovakia in 1993. Beforehand, Slovakia gifted a Russian-produced S-300 air-defense missile system, 155mm Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzers (SPHs), Grad multiple-launch rocket programs (MLRSs) to Ukraine. Extra lately, reviews of a possible sale of 11 MiG-29 fight plane from the Slovak Air Drive’s stock to Ukraine have emerged. Ukrainian pilots already fly the MiG-29 and so there can be little extra coaching wanted to place Slovakia’s jets to rapid use.
