Swiss tanks' controversial sale attempt faces neutrality hurdle
According to Swiss television SRF, the local company RUAG is making another attempt to sell 96 Leopard 1A5 tanks. These machines have been the subject of much controversy, primarily because attempts to transfer them to Ukraine have been blocked.
"The tank scandal intensified two years ago when the Swiss company wanted to sell this military equipment to Germany, which aimed to assist Ukraine. The Federal Council thwarted this plan and prohibited such a sale due to the country's neutrality. The Swiss Federal Audit Office criticized the behaviour of RUAG managers in this matter during subsequent findings," SRF recalls.
Are 96 Leopard 1 tanks up for sale?
SRF claims, however, that despite previous problems, RUAG is making another attempt to sell 96 Leopard 1A5 tanks. The buyer would be the German defence conglomerate Rheinmetall, as confirmed by two independent sources to SRF. According to them, Germany must guarantee that the tanks involved in the transaction will not end up in Ukraine.
At the same time, SRF points out that little is known about the technical condition of these tanks, which once served in the Italian army. It is known that for years they have been stored on property belonging to RUAG in northern Italy. Photos published by an Italian television station in 2023 showed that the equipment is stationed outdoors and is only secured with tarps.
SRF suggests, however, that the Rheinmetall group could use the tanks purchased from the Swiss as "spare parts donors." A request for comment was met with a terse response that "Rheinmetall does not comment on ongoing business transactions."
Leopard 1A5 has proven useful in Ukraine
The Leopard 1A5 is a tank from the 1990s, the last serial modernization of the Leopard 1 tank. It possesses a 105 mm calibre gun, but also an EMES 18 fire control system derived from a similar solution in the newer Leopard 2. As a result, functional models prove to be useful even today, despite weak armour, as evidenced by Ukrainians using Leopard 1A5 tanks delivered to them by some allies.
