Defense is already working on the development of six Leopard 2A4 battle tanks to send to Ukraine. The battleships are located in the facilities that the contractor Santa Bárbara has in Alcalá de Guadaira (Seville), where they are undergoing a fourth-level review -the most exhaustive- before sending them to the front. Defense has estimated that the adaptation of these cars will cost 4.1 million euros.
The information is published on the State Procurement Platform, where the tender appears, in a preliminary phase and in charge of the Economic Affairs Headquarters of the Logistics Support Command of the Army. Although there are no specifications to consult within the contract, the 4.1 million will be allocated to the “putting the Leopard model 2A4 battle tanks into operating conditions.”
The object of the contract is not specified, invoking article 7.1B of the Public Sector Defense and Security Contracts Law, which legislates that “those contracts that, if governed by this Law, would be necessary to reveal information contrary to the essential interests of Security, or in accordance with article 346 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the essential interests of Defense or National Security could be harmed”.
It should be remembered that the Leopards that Spain is going to send to the front next spring have left the Casetas Logistics Base. Since 2012, 53 of the battle tanks that the State acquired from Germany have been hibernating there. These armored vehicles were stored following the NATO protocol, but although Minister Robles at one point stated that they were in an “absolutely lamentable” state, this newspaper revealed that the cars were still in the Air Force’s material inventory and that they were operational. Tuning them up has a cost, which Defense has estimated at 4.1 million euros.
During his second visit to Kiev, Pedro Sánchez stated that they are considering increasing the contribution of Leopards from Spain to a dozen, that is, four more than the six that will arrive in Ukraine in the spring. However, so far no more tanks have come out of Casetas and it does not seem that this donation is anything more than a good intention, since it has not been launched.
While the Leopards are adapted, Defense is training 55 Ukrainian soldiers in the management and maintenance of these battle tanks. The training takes place at the San Gregorio Maneuver Field, which has a Leopard 2A4 simulator that Indra built years ago. The soldiers will receive several weeks of instruction, to arrive at the front at the same time as the cars.
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