After weeks of negotiations and reflections, yesterday came the turning point on the tanks to be sent to Ukraine. The numbers are not yet clear, but rumors speak of at least 30 M1 Abrams tanks arriving from the United States and between 80 and 100 Leopard 2s to be donated by European countries.
Ma what is the market value of the tanks what is so much talk about these days?
Let’s start with Abrams which will come from the United States. There are three major operational versions of Abrams, M1, M1A1 and M1A2, and of course each new version seeks to achieve improvements in armament, protection and electronics. It is not yet clear which of these versions will be sent to Kiev, but estimated costs in 2016 for the latest version were around 5.7 million eurosalmost today 8.2 million euros with the discounted estimate taking into account inflation. As in all large transactions and especially when in the middle there are negotiations with the governments in which territory the producer is located, the figures may vary and be impacted by a multiplicity of variables. Here because it is very difficult to establish a precise market price.
Leopard 2
Also dei Leopard 2 there are several versions, but the most recent estimate available to us, written a few years ago in a report by the German Ministry of Defense, concerns the version Leopard 2A7+ MBT and talk about a price between 13 and 15 million euros.
The means that from Europe they will be sent to Kiev, but they don’t have to be bought: they are already part of the endowments of over twelve countries that are willing to donate them. Each according to their abilities and even needs: yesterday, for example, the Czech Republic announced that it cannot give up its Leopards, because it believes it needs them for its own security. At the moment, the only country that has declared its intention to buy new tanks to be sent to Kiev, in the number of 18, is the Netherlands.
Instead, the supply of American tanks will be funded throughUkraine Security Assistance Initiative, the Ukrainian security assistance initiative that takes weapons and equipment directly from private industry instead of from US arsenals. The United States will deliver 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, worth 400 million dollars. But it will take months for the actual delivery.
An M1 Abrams in use by Iraqi forces
(afp)
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Marina Palumbo
