The Swiss government has rejected the Polish request to supply Poland with Leopard 2 MBTs. The MBTs remain in storage, but they still belong to the Swiss Army. The Swiss decision is somewhat aligned with Switzerland’s actions tied to bringing to a halt even indirect delivery of weapons to Ukraine. It also bears some meaning, when considering the Polish-German talks on the acquisition of further Leopard MBTs.
As announced by the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, Poland expressed interest in the Leopard 2A4 MBTs remaining in storage and belonging to the Swiss Army. The request has been justified by the fact that Poland has transferred some of its armament, including heavy assets, to Ukraine, and it needs to recover the lost assets.
The Swiss authorities, however, rejected the request. This has been justified by the fact that the MBTs would need to be formally withdrawn, while the transfer would also require parliamentary approval. Carrying out a process as such – as the Swiss maintain – would mean that it would not be possible to finalize the offer for Poland in a “usable” period.
The very same release also states that Rheinmetall can freely decide what to do with 42 Leopard 2A4 MBTs procured from Switzerland between 2010 and 2011. However, these MBTs have had their armament removed. Originally they were to be used as base platforms for specialist vehicles. The potential decision on the export of those MBTs remains in the hands of the German government.
Notably, Switzerland currently has at least 96 Leopard 2A4 MBTs (Pz 87) at its disposal. These are stored in good technical condition, as NZZ Magazin recently announced. The Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport is also considering reintroduction of those MBTs into the inventory of the Swiss military, given the tense situation in the wake of the full-scale war in Ukraine.