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The Netherlands is now renting 18 German Leopard 2A6, but the Defense Ministry w...

Out of 1000 cars during the Cold War to rent: Netherlands want to restore tank park

The Netherlands is now renting 18 German Leopard 2A6, but the Defense Ministry would like to get their own tanks to strengthen NATO. The Netherlands considers the opportunity to restore their own tank battalion against the background of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. About it reports Defense News. The current defense budget does not cover the costs that will be needed before creating a tank battalion.

The Netherlands Defense Minister Kaisa Ollogren and the Secretary of Defense Christor Van Der Maat reported that without additional funding, the Netherlands would not receive their own tanks. The publication emphasizes that the Netherlands had 1,000 tanks in the midst of the Cold War. After its completion, the government was constantly reducing the costs and in 2011 the army was lost two tank battalions.

Since 2015, the Netherlands has been renting 18 Leopard 2A6 tanks in Germany, which form five mouths of a German-Dutch 414 tank battalion. "Given the deterioration of the safety situation since 2022, it is very important that our armed forces are strengthened. Officials, because negotiations on government formation are still ongoing.

However, the Defense Ministry added that the tank battalion will be able to strengthen the Alliance and support the priority of the Netherlands in the creation of a heavy infantry brigade. The potential cost of a tank battalion together with maintenance, spare parts and operation will cost 260-315 million euros. In November, the German government invited the Netherlands to jointly acquire Leopard 2A8, but the Netherlands were asked to postpone the decision through the government's temporality.