Germany Clears 187 Leopard I Tanks for Ukraine

German media is reporting that the federal government will announce the clearing of export licenses for 187 Leopard I tanks for Ukraine. This is in addition to the fourteen Leopard II main battle tanks that chancellor Scholz announced last week. These tanks are to be delivered to Ukraine by the middle of 2023 by the earliest. However, German Business Insider is reporting that these tanks are in a severe state of disrepair and will need significant maintenance before being combat ready.

While the Leopard I is the legacy main battle tank for Germany it is still used by dozens of European armies as a utility vehicle. In 2003, the German government completely phased out the Leopard I for the Leopard IIs but still maintains a reserve of at least 1,000 vehicles.

Currently, the largest operators are Greece, with 520 vehicles, Turkey, with 397 vehicles, Brazil with 378 vehicles and Chile with 202 vehicles. Most of these vehicles have been upgraded with various improvements to armour, firepower and sensors to maintain their ability to engage modern threats. However it is outclassed in armor and armament by the Russian T-80.

The following comparison of the two tanks was made by ArmedForces.Eu: