Federal Council for Decommissioning and Sale of 25 Battle Tanks How Tens of Thousands of Animals Died in the Floods in Northern Italy

The Federal Council agrees to decommission 25 of the Army’s Leopard 2 main battle tanks as it believes the Army’s own needs can still be met. The competent committee of the National Council proposes to take 25 decommissioned tanks out of service and thus sell them back to the German manufacturer.

Accordingly, on Wednesday, the state government authorized Defense Minister Viola Amherd to support the decommissioning of the tanks in parliamentary debates on the army message, he said. The National Council will be the first council to decide during the upcoming summer session.

96 decommissioned Army Leopard 2 main battle tanks are stored in Switzerland. The National Council Security Policy Committee (SIK-N) is asking the Grand Chamber to remove 25 of these tanks from service. A small majority in the committee only wants that if the tanks of the German manufacturer are sold back.

Bundesrat decides on sale

If parliament says yes to decommissioning, no sale is sealed. The Department of Economics, Education and Research (EAER) examines and reviews all export applications on behalf of the Federal Council. The Federal Council will decide on this, the state government wrote.

The attitude of the Federal Council by no means constitutes a paradigm shift with regard to the transfer of war material, Federal President Alain Berset told the media in response to relevant questions. Federal Council spokesman André Simonazzi added that the German side had promised not to export again.

In February, German Economics Minister Robert Habeck and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wrote to Defense Minister Amherd requesting that some of these decommissioned tanks be sold back. These should be sold to the German manufacturer Rheinmetall.

According to the Bundesrat, German ministers assured that the tanks would not go to Ukraine. Instead, they would stay in Germany or other EU or NATO countries and fill gaps in supplies there.

personal needs covered

Despite the sale of 25 tanks, the army’s own needs are being met. The army is likely to need 71 of the decommissioned 96 tanks itself. The army currently has 134 Panzer 87 Leopard 2 A4 WE tanks. To fully equip the six battalions leading the main battle tanks, 168 tanks would be needed, that is, an additional 34.

The Federal Council is therefore considering the modernization of 34 of the decommissioned tanks for the army. A further twelve tanks will be used for training and about 25 as spare parts storage or component donors. What remains are the 25 tanks that the SIK-N wants to decommission and sell.

The reactivation of decommissioned tanks corresponds to the further development of the ground forces, decided by the Federal Council four years ago. It is recognized that main battle tanks will continue to play a central role in defense for the foreseeable future. (oo/sda)