The Netherlands wants to return German Leopard 2 tanks to service for the first time since 2011

The Netherlands intends to return tanks to the army. Since the end of the Cold War, the European country has been actively selling off the combat vehicles, but now the authorities are considering acquiring a tank battalion.

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The Dutch Ministry of Defence plans to acquire a battalion of German Leopard 2 tanks. This was announced this week by Secretary of State for Defence, Christophe van der Maat.

The Netherlands began actively selling tanks after the end of the Cold War, when the European country had more than 440 Leopard 2A4s in service. A few years later, the number of tanks was roughly halved.

In the middle of the last decade, the Netherlands decided to lease 18 Leopard 2A6 tanks, after all its own combat vehicles had been decommissioned and sold off in 2011. Formally, these 18 tanks remain in service with the Bundeswehr, but in the event of an attack on the Netherlands, Germany will hand them over immediately.

Source: Telegraaf