Germany Approves Indonesian Purchase of 100 Leopard 2 Tanks and 50 Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles

Germany has approved the sale of 100 used Leopard 2A6 Main Battle Tanks and 50 Marder 1A3 Infantry Fighting vehicles (IFV) to Indonesia. The German National Security Council must approve all large arms sales to other countries.

Indonesia had earlier selected to buy the Leopard 2 tanks from Germany's Rheinmetall over the option of buying them from the Netherlands. Russia had also offered its T-90 tanks to Indonesia.

Indonesia had earlier put the cost of the 100 refurbished Leopard 2A6 tanks, including related equipment, support vehicles and services, at $280 million. Delivery is expected to be complete by 2014.

The purchase are part of the $15 billion, which Indonesia plans to spend to upgrade its army. Currently, Indonesia only has outdated British Scorpion and French AMX13 tanks, which are much smaller and lighter than the heavy Leopard 2 tanks.

The Leopard 2 tank is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore cannon with a crew of 4 and weighs over 60 tons. The tracked Marder IFV is armed with a 20 mm cannon with a crew of 3 and can carry 7 soldiers.

Unlike Indonesia, a decision on whether or not to proceed with the sale of Leopard 2 tanks to Saudi Arabia has been postponed by Germany until after the federal elections in September 2013.

Saudi Arabia is interested in purchasing several hundred new Leopard 2 tanks and other armored vehicles. Qatar has already purchased 62 Leopard 2 tanks and 24 PzH2000 Self-Propelled Howitzers recently.

The first eight Flakpanzer Gepard Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (SPAAG) to Brazil are due for delivery later this year. Brazil ordered 34 used Gepards in April 2013. They are armed with two 35 mm guns for short-range air defense.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/03/germany-arms-indonesia-saudi-idUSL6N0DK2II20130503

By U.S. Army Specialist Markus Rauchenberger [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

By P.Eckardt [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Qatar Buys 62 Leopard II Tanks and 24 PzH2000 Self-Propelled Howitzers from Germany

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann from Germany has signed a contract with Qatar for the delivery of 62 Leopard II Main Battle Tanks and 24 PzH2000 Self-Propelled Howitzers / Guns.

Qatar wants to modernize its armed forces due to increasing tensions recently in the middle east and the new acquisitions are intended to achieve that goal. Other purchases such as the Javelin missiles from the United States are part of the effort. 

The contract, including related equipment, training and other services, is estimated to be €1.89 billion or about $2.5 billion. Last year, Qatar had expressed interest in acquiring up to 200 Leopard 2 tanks.

The Leopard 2, depending on version weighs over 60 tons and carries a 120 mm smoothbore gun as its main armament. It is operated by a crew consisting of the driver, commander, loader and gunner.

The tracked PzH2000 is a 155 mm and 52 caliber Self-Propelled Howitzer with support for Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact (MRSI), where 5 rounds are fired in sequence and impact simultaneously.

The PzH2000 has a very high maximum rate of fire of up to 13 rounds per minute. The diesel-powered vehicle is operated by a crew consisting of the driver, commander and gunner.

Qatar currently operates the French AMX-30B2 tanks and South African G5 towed 155 mm howitzers that were acquired back in the eighties and will have to be replaced.

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, in cooperation with other German defense companies such as Rheinmetall, is now looking at selling hundreds of Leopard 2A7 tanks and Boxer Infantry Fighting Vehicles to Saudi Arabia.


http://www.kmweg.de/de/en/fileadmin/user_upload/pdfs/Press_Releases/Press_Release_Army_modernization_Qatar.pdf

By Denniss [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

By Sandstein [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons