Rheinmetall has once again been commissioned to supply main battle tanks and armoured recovery vehicles to the Czech Republic as part of a ring swap process commissioned by the German government to support Ukraine. An agreement to this effect was signed at the end of July 2024 in Prague between representatives of both countries and Rheinmetall. The order value is in the low three-digit million euro range. The Czech armed forces will be receiving 14 Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks (MBTs) and one Buffalo armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) from Rheinmetall. In turn, the Czech military will be transferring military equipment to Ukraine. The first vehicle is due to be shipped to the Czech Republic at the end of 2024, the rest of the tanks will be delivered till the end of April 2025 and delivery of ARV 3 Buffalo will be completed by the beginning of 2026.
The Leopard 2 is a third generation German main battle tank (MBT). Developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s, the tank entered service in 1979 and replaced the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the West German army. There are two main development tranches of the Leopard 2. The first encompasses tanks produced up to the Leopard 2A4 standard and are characterised by their vertically faced turret armour. The second tranche, from Leopard 2A5 onwards, has an angled, arrow-shaped, turret appliqué armour, together with other improvements. The main armament of all Leopard 2 tanks is a smoothbore 120 mm cannon made by Rheinmetall. This is operated with a digital fire control system, laser rangefinder, and advanced night vision and sighting equipment. The tank is powered by a V12 twin-turbo diesel engine made by MTU Friedrichshafen.
The Bergepanzer 3 Buffel armoured recovery vehicle is based on the Leopard 2’s familiar chassis and has a winch system, a crane boom that can be swivelled through 270° and a support and clearing blade. The hydraulically operated jib crane on the right side of the hull, and its lifting winch is directly integrated into the crane boom. It has a maximum hook load of 30 tonnes with a crane outreach of 90 centimetres from the front edge of the support and clearing blade. The Rotzler Treibmatic TR 650/3 main winch is located in the operating compartment under the intermediate floor. It has a maximum pulling force of 35 tonnes. Loads of 70 to 105 tonnes can be moved in the double and triple pull. The support and clearing blade at the front of the vehicle, in conjunction with a rapid recovery device (only on the Bergepanzer 3 Büffel armoured recovery vehicle), allows the recovery of damaged vehicles under armoured protection.
As was already the case in the first ring swap with the Czech Republic in October 2022, Rheinmetall negotiated the necessary contracts in close cooperation with the German Federal Ministry of Defence and the Czech authorities and armed forces within a short period of time. Work on the vehicles has also already begun. The property of Rheinmetall, the vehicles now being made available are upgraded Leopard 2A4 MBTs formerly in the inventories of various user states. The state-of-the-art ARV 3 Buffalo armoured recovery vehicle is mounted on an enhanced Leopard 2 chassis. The “Ringtausch” (“ring swap”) is a procedure developed by the German government in cooperation with Germany’s neighbours and NATO allies to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. Specifically, NATO member states are providing Ukraine with Soviet-era heavy equipment in exchange for readily available Western military systems.
