Following the reduction of military strengths
in connection with Armed Forces 95 and Armed Forces XXI,
various weapon systems were decommissioned, mothballed,
sold, or disposed of. The Leopard 2 Battle Tank (Pz 87
Leo) is one of many systems which are no longer needed
in the originally procured quantity. Part of the Pz 87
Leo fleet was therefore mothballed at various storage
sites.
Since in its Armed Forces Report the Federal
council defined the basic data for a smaller defence force,
the way was cleared for the sale of the Pz 87 Leo no longer
needed, or parts thereof.
From the units of the Pz 87 Leo fleet
of the Swiss Armed Forces, which are not foreseen for
the quality maintenance program and not among the vehicles
designated as spare material, 42 vehicles are now sold
to the German company Rheinmetall Landsysteme, which will
use these vehicles as basis (chassis) for support vehicles.
Takeover of the vehicles destined for
Rheinmetall will begin still this year. Rheinmetall Landsysteme
is part of the consortium in the Federal Republic of Germany
which produced the Leopard 2 Battle Tank.
The Pz 87 Leo delivered to Rheinmetall
Landsysteme are not sold in fully equipped condition.
Among others, the following assemblies are removed: armament,
radio-and inter-phone systems. The components which are
not supplied are used as spare parts by the Swiss Armed
Forces.
