Spain has announced a plan to send 19 Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine by September to strengthen its defenses against Russia in the ongoing war.
General Dynamics European Land Systems has been chosen to provide all of the commissioning services for the tanks. All units will undergo thorough overhaul and maintenance procedures, replacing any defective parts and reassembling their systems to ensure full operation and effectiveness before being sent to Kyiv.
Work for the vehicles will be carried out at their Alcalá de Guadaira factory in Seville.
The delivery is the second batch of Leopard tanks sent from Madrid to Ukraine, following the initial transfer of six in 2023.
The Leopard 2A4
Developed in the 1970s as a third-generation main battle tank, the Leopard 2 has an average operational range of 170 miles (280 kilometers) and a maximum speed of 70 miles (43 kilometers) per hour.
Its main armament is a Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore gun, supplemented by two machine guns capable of firing 4,750 rounds.
The Spanish Army currently has 55 active 2A4s. Other operators include the Czech Republic and Slovakia, both of which received the vehicles from Rheinmetall following military equipment transfers to Ukraine.