rump Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 This time a whole battalion of them, to Portugal.From http://www.defense-update.com/newscast/0208/news_0208.htm#sep :Portuguese Armor Modernized with Leopard 2A6, Pandur II Portugal is acquiring a battalion Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks from the Netherlands. These tanks will replace older M-60 tanks now in service with the Portuguese Army. Portugal will receive the first company of 9 tanks this year, 29 additional tanks will be delivered in 2009, equipping a full battalion. Under a parallel modernization plan the Portuguese Army received the first shipment of nine Pandur II 8x8 wheeled armored vehicles (VBR). Portugal plans to field 300 VBRs with the in several variants with the Army’s Intervention Brigade, and the Navy’s marine infantry battalion.- Rump 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DemolitionMan Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Thnx for the info. However, the deal with Portugal was in the talks before Canada made the decision to buy the tanks from the Netherlands. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rump Posted February 10, 2008 Author Share Posted February 10, 2008 Ah, wasn't aware of that.Press coverage on this subject is very scarce here in the Netherlands.Does anyone here know how many Leo's are left in the Dutch Army?-Rump 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norfolk Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I was about to ask the same thing. Someone on another thread here mentioned something like 200 (out of an original 435 Leo 2's, never mind the old Leo 1's that they got rid of), but I don't know if that was after all the planned sales to other NATO countries. The Netherlands MoD seems to be engaging in almost a firesale of the Armed Forces' equipment. Very strange.:confused: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscar19681 Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Yes this is well known for many years now they just keep selling stuff till there,s nothing left here in the netherlands it is percieved as very strange indeed but there not much we can do about it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DemolitionMan Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I´m keeping a file containing the sales and the customers of the Leopard tank. Netherlands had 445 tanks, of which they sold 115 to Austria, 52 to Norway, 100 to Canada and 38 to Portugal. 10 tanks are planned to be converted to engineer tanks "Kodiak". This leaves 130 tanks, of which 122 are Leo2A6 and 8 are A4. IMO this is a reasonable fleet number for a country of the size of the Netherlands. Especially compared to Germany which plans to keep 400 tanks in active service and has 395 more in reserve. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rump Posted February 10, 2008 Author Share Posted February 10, 2008 On the other hand we are buying a bunch of CV9035's (about 200 I believe).-Rump 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogueSnake79 Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Perhaps they are planning on upgrading to M1's? Its a constant battle between the elected officials, and the military masterminds over who gets your tax dollars. I can only imagine how pissed your military is regarding this. The polotitions must see the army's tank core as bloated, and wasting money. Not as being prepared to face off any threat to the nation, as the army sees it. Undoubtly they argue that the Leopard 2 tank force was needed to defend against the Russian horde, which is no longer realistic. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rump Posted February 10, 2008 Author Share Posted February 10, 2008 Undoubtly they argue that the Leopard 2 tank force was needed to defend against the Russian horde, which is no longer realistic.Yup, that's my guess too.And, in a way, they are right. Should a nation be prepared for everything? Can we afford that?That's not to say we can't use the Leo's in Afghanistan, for instance. We did send over Apache's, F-16's and Panzerhaubitze 2000's, but no Leo's...-Rump 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tacbat Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 The Netherlands MoD seems to be engaging in almost a firesale of the Armed Forces' equipment. So, how much for a Leo2, and more importantly, is shipping included? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ssnake Posted February 11, 2008 Members Share Posted February 11, 2008 This leaves 130 tanks, of which 122 are Leo2A6 and 8 are A4.At least one of the A4 is relegated to "gate guard duty" in Amersfoort. I guess the other ones are museum pieces, too. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rump Posted February 11, 2008 Author Share Posted February 11, 2008 I´m keeping a file containing the sales and the customers of the Leopard tank. Netherlands had 445 tanks, of which they sold 115 to Austria, 52 to Norway, 100 to Canada and 38 to Portugal. 10 tanks are planned to be converted to engineer tanks "Kodiak". This leaves 130 tanks, of which 122 are Leo2A6 and 8 are A4. IMO this is a reasonable fleet number for a country of the size of the Netherlands. Especially compared to Germany which plans to keep 400 tanks in active service and has 395 more in reserve.Sorry, totally missed your post...Just out of curiosity, what are your sources?And do you know what happened to the 2a5? All converted to 2a6?-Rump 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DemolitionMan Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 My sources? Defence and tank related home pages as well as news media. And AFAIK the Netherlands converted 180 of their Leos to A5, and subsequently all of them to A6. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rump Posted February 12, 2008 Author Share Posted February 12, 2008 Thanks. Just thought you had a 'deep throat' in Krauss-Maffei... -Rump 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonhammer Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 The reason for the Netherlands to sell their tanks is that the threat has changed.Nato isn't fighting any more an army with equal capabilities but insurgents who hold an ak-47 or an rpg at the most.And for that an cv9035 is more then enough. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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