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Great White North

Canada to buy German tanks for Afghanistan duty

2007-02-11

BERLIN - Berlin Saturday confirmed reports that Canada is to buy German Leopard tanks to equip its forces serving with the NATO multinational force in Afghanistan. The defence ministry said it was examining a request to that effect from Ottawa, confirming a report in the magazine Der Spiegel due to appear Monday which says that 80 A4 tanks could be bought from the German army reserve. The ministry is in principle favourable to this request, a spokesman told AFP.

The Leopard 2A6 has been around a few years. It's a main battle tank similar to the M-1 Abrams.

Spiegel says the Canadians also want 20 Leopards of the latest A6M type which are mine-resistant, of which the German Bundeswehr regular army has 40. But as the German manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann cannot deliver them at once, Canada wants to lease them from the German army, according to the magazine.

Canada has 2,500 troops deployed against the Taleban in the south of Afghanistan, while Germany has a force of 2,950 serving with the NATO International Secuirty Assistance Force in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

Posted by:Steve White

#6 The M1 uses a German Rheinmetall 120mm L44 smoothbore cannon. The armor is a variant of British Chobham armor.

Posted by: john 2007-02-11 19:06

#5 The US M1 is a Leopard with a turbine engine.

Even if that were true (I think it isn't) engine can make a LOT of difference: in addition to spped ad accelaration (this shortens time going fromcover to cover), it dictates what ground is unpassable and what is not (and thus not need to be mined/defended). Also M1 turbine is far less noisier than traditional tank engines and gives some element of surprise.

Posted by: JFM 2007-02-11 17:37

#4 #1 Correct me iff I'm wrong, but to my knowledge the LEOPARD 2A6 is untried in combat, unlike Brit, US, and French Leclerc MBT's.

The US M1 is a Leopard with a turbine engine.

Posted by: Theash Flaviger8045 2007-02-11 09:06

#3 The Canadians had previous been equipped with the original [post-war] German Leopard when they maintained forces in Germany during the '60s. They're probably comfortable with the business relationship. It's unlikely their supplier will play games with spare parts or upgrades that unfortunately the US has done with other foreign buyers in the past. Also unlikely that given a 'pressing need' that said spare parts and ungrades wouldn't be reserved by the seller for large scale commitments someplace else in the world by the US. I'm sure the Germans are interested in someone else 'field testing' their gear since their own government is unlikely to permitting it when it involves the home team.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2007-02-11 08:40

#2 I get the impression that the Germans aren't using them, so why not sell them to the Canadians somewhat cheaply? Win/win -- the Canadians have a lowered cost of entry to proper troop transport (finally! Hurrah for the Conservatives in government!), and the Germans can use the cash to pay for ... *shrug* something military.

Posted by: trailing wife 2007-02-11 01:34

#1 Correct me iff I'm wrong, but to my knowledge the LEOPARD 2A6 is untried in combat, unlike Brit, US, and French Leclerc MBT's.

Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-02-11 00:40

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