'Quality Challenges' Holding Up Joint Leopard Tank Supplies to Ukraine
© Wikipedia / Rainer Lippert / A German Leopard 1A5 tank drives past at the at the 2015 military day in Uffenheim, GermanyA German Leopard 1A5 tank drives past at the at the 2015 military day in Uffenheim, Germany© Wikipedia / Rainer Lippert / A German Leopard 1A5 tank drives past at the at the 2015 military day in Uffenheim, GermanySubscribeInternationalIndiaAfricaIgor KuznetsovAll materialsThe Leopard 1 tanks were planned to be dispatched in spring, but won't be sent off until sometime in July due to technical issues, and even so they are prone to further delay, sapping Ukraine's counteroffensive, according to analysts.The joint Danish-German-Dutch donation of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine has been delayed due to a number of technical challenges, Denmark's Acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen has announced.In the spring, Denmark teamed up with Germany and the Netherlands to gift at least 100 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine. The intention was that the first tanks would arrive in the sp
"It is of course regrettable that we have not been able to deliver the expected number of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine. It is a large and important donation, but in connection with the renovation of the tanks, the two manufacturers have encountered a number of technical challenges, including the gun turret, which unfortunately means that right now we only have tanks for the training part," Troels Lund Poulsen said in a statement.
The first batch of renovated tanks should have been ready around April in order for the training to commence the same month. Now, the first tanks are expected to be sent off in the course of July, as previously announced by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
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