‘Switzerland does not have enough tanks’

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Germany wants our Leopard tanks. Berlin has officially asked Switzerland to buy mothballed Leopard 2 main battle tanks. They are intended to replace tanks that Germany and other EU countries have supplied to Ukraine.

A deal is not ruled out. From the point of view of the Swiss military, it would be possible to miss a limited number of main battle tanks, according to preliminary clarifications, according to a statement by Federal Councilor Viola Amherd (60) of the Federal Ministry of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports (DDPS).

Parliament must approve the deal

Only: the approval of parliament would be necessary for a sale. The security committees of the National Council and the Council of States recently rejected such a proposal.

The SVP confirmed this decision Friday morning. SVP parliamentary group chairman and national councilor Thomas Aeschi (44) wrote on Twitter: “The SVP rejects the sale of Swiss Leopard tanks to Germany.” On the one hand, Switzerland needs the tanks for its own defense, and the so-called ring exchange deals would also violate our neutrality, according to Aeschi.

SIK chairman Salzmann continues to oppose it

Werner Salzmann (60), SVP member of the Council of States and chairman of the Security Policy Committee of the Council of States (SIK-S), said on SRF radio that he was not surprised that Germany made another request. “We have already dealt with a corresponding parliamentary initiative within the SiK-S. There was a clear refusal to allow the sale of the tanks to Germany.”

On the one hand, people do not know what the doctrine for the defense of Switzerland looks like. In addition, Salzmann is also convinced that Switzerland needs all Leopard tanks to equip its own brigades.

SVP President Mauro Tuena (51) has also not changed his negative opinion in the Security Policy Committee of the National Council (SIK-N), he told the Keystone-SDA news agency.

Here you are almost there in real life: Blick takes you on a ride in the Swiss Leopard 2 (360 degree video).

OG-Panzer: “Switzerland doesn’t have enough tanks”

And the tank officers still shook hands at the idea of ​​​​selling one of the decommissioned Leopard tanks. It is still incomprehensible to the Officers’ Society of the Panzer Troops (OG Panzer) that Switzerland is said to have surplus tanks.

On the contrary: “We do not yet have enough vehicles for all the troops. There are also no reserves,” OG president Erich Muff clarifies. A sale of tanks was therefore decided to be rejected. In fact, the decommissioned Leopard tanks would have to be reactivated and brought up to the latest state of the art. Our soldiers must be fully equipped.

GLP Reich Councilor Roland Fischer (57) is in favor of selling tanks to Germany. He is also a member of the Foreign Policy Committee of the National Council (APK-N). On Twitter he writes: The deal “would be an important contribution to Swiss solidarity and cooperation in Europe”.

The Federal Council will comment on the subject on Monday

However, other members of the security committees think it is too early to comment on the specific request from Germany. Because: There is still too much unclear, you have to keep looking at that and discuss it in the committees.

Either way, the political debate over the deal is likely to get heated. The Bundesrat must give its opinion on the subject next Monday during question time in the National Council.

Source:Blick