German conglomerate Rheinmetall has confirmed that it will not be able to meet Ukraine's request for Leopard tanks from its existing stock this year, the company's CEO Armin Papperger revealed in an interview on Thursday.
Papperger said the company currently has about 110 tanks, including 22 Leopard 2 vehicles, that could be prepared and shipped to Ukraine. At the same time, he noted that there are certain procedures which could hinder the supply.
"However, we cannot repair these tanks without an order because the cost would be several million euros," he told the German press.
The repair process for the tanks will be time-consuming as it goes beyond just repainting. The vehicles will require extensive reconfiguration. Papperger explained that a complete disassembly followed by a meticulous restoration will be necessary. Even if the decision to send the Leopard tanks to Kiev is made in the near future, the delivery schedule would extend into early next year, he emphasized.
Regarding the delivery schedule of ammunition for the Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine, the CEO mentioned that the production of the first batch will be completed in June-July. By the middle of the following year, Rheinmetall plans to ship 300,000 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine.
The head of the company emphasized that since the beginning of the Russian special military operation, the company has hired an additional 1,200 employees, with the workforce numbers currently reaching about 25,000.