Following a deal between Belgium, Germany, and Ukraine, the latter’s army will acquire Leopard 1 tanks to reinforce its army, Reuters reports.
In a frantic search for additional weapons to send to Ukraine, Belgium has agreed to give its reserve tanks. Fellow NATO members nations will share the cost of providing these tanks to Ukraine.
While the weapons are welcome in Ukraine, it also shows the growing limitations of European armies to supply themselves and their allies independently of the United States. Leopard 1s were first deployed in 1965, making them older than other battle tanks.
Maintenance crews estimate that it will take 6 months to refit these earlier generation tanks. Although they can be refitted with modern gear, their earlier generation prevent them from taking advantage of all tech advances.
If NATO countries cannot reinstate war materiel production now, the war in Ukraine will put in jeopardy American stocks of weapons.
