On February 7, the German federal government iannounced the exact number of Leopard 1 and 2 tanks that will go to Ukraine. It is known that Rheinmetall and Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaf were granted permission to export equipment: 88 are on the balance sheet of Rheinmetall and 99 — FFG.
It is not yet known whether the repair of equipment is included in the budget allocated by the government. Thus, there is a possibility that some of the delivered tanks will be combat-ready, and some will be used as a resource for spare parts. Ukraine is expected to receive an answer in the next week or 2.
The next question is the equipment of tanks. The military-strategic weight of equipment directly depends on the ammunition load. The Leopards 1 uses 105 mm NATO rounds. They are much better than those currently used by Ukraine. According to Business Insider, Leopards with 105mm shells "in the long run, this could increase the 'resilience' of the Ukrainian army." However, you need to understand that even with all these pluses, Scholz's delay in the supply of tanks has led to the fact that they do not have time to get to Ukraine before the upcoming Russian attack on Ukraine in the spring. At best, German Leopards will arrive in AFU in late spring/early summer. As Business Insider points out, "the German federal government has done little to help Ukraine in terms of political strategy," as it is already being decided when Putin will be forced to sit down at the negotiating table.
