Saudi Arabia wants to buy 600-800 Leopard tanks from Germany

[Arabian Legend]

Deal for around 300 tanks is about to be signed, newspaper says
ReutersPublished: 13:35 June 17, 2012
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see old link http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-forum/118240-leopard-2a7-saudi-arabia.html


Berlin: Saudi Arabia wants to buy 600 to 800 Leopard battle tanks from Germany, at least twice the number previously expected, a German newspaper reported on Sunday.
A deal for around 300 tanks was about to be signed, Bild am Sonntag newspaper said in a report sent to Reuters ahead of publication.
The newspaper said that while there was opposition to the deal in Germany’s Chancellery, Foreign Ministry and Defence Ministry, there was support for it within the Economy Ministry.
“The Saudi order could secure the future of German tank-makers Krauss-Maffei Wegman and Rheinmetall, which urgently need new markets because of the restructuring of the German army,” said Bild am Sonntag.
A German government spokeswoman declined to comment.
Last year, Germany denied reports that it had agreed to export 270 Leopard tanks to Saudi Arabia. Exports of military equipment cannot be officially acknowledged as they are confidential and disclosure is punishable by a fine or jail. Opposition lawmakers heaped pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government after reports it had cut a secret deal to sell the tanks, saying it contravened the country’s export guidelines for military hardware.
Arms exports are a sensitive issue in Germany given its Nazi past as well as the role arms makers like Krupp played in feeding 19th and 20th century wars with exports to both sides of conflicts.
Germany has refrained from exporting heavy weapons to Gulf states in the past, given its close relationship with Israel and more recently because of the so-called Arab Spring.
Citing industry sources, Bild am Sonntag said Saudi Arabia wanted to sign the deal by July 20.
Spanish firm General Dynamic/Santa Barbara would produce the tanks under licence by the German firms, the newspaper said.


gulfnews

 

[Mosamania]

600 M1A2Ss plus 800 Leopard 2A7+.... I would hate to be facing that army.

 

[chauvunist]

Good News....make it impregnable brothers...

 

[Mosamania]

Good News....make it impregnable brothers...

We are going to get this baby with full ToT the plants for it are already built and are awaiting g the go ahead.

 

[shining eyes]

For whom S. Arabia is buying this many war machines?
I don't think they really should waste a lot of money on these, instead they should invest in R&D and other big projects. Invest in making your own fighter jets.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Tanks are obsolete with arrival of smart weapons and bomblets that attach on to signatures of Tanks and military vehicles

 

[Skorpian]

We are going to get this baby with full ToT the plants for it are already built and are awaiting g the go ahead.

Full ToT? I don't think so.

 

[Shahin Vatani]

Keep on buying other country's products with your oil money Saudi Arabia. Don't bother trying to innovate anything on your own, or trying to expand your economy outside of the oil market. WAY TO GO!!!

 

[p(-)0ENiX]

Good work Saudi Arabia!

Germany in €10-billion tank deal with Saudis

With up to 800 tanks, the deal would be worth €10 billion, making it one of the biggest-ever for the German defence industry, the Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported.

 

[Zulkarneyn]

You guys should also consider in the near future to make a deal with our future Altay tanks.

 

[BordoEnes]

Keep on buying other country's products with your oil money Saudi Arabia. Don't bother trying to innovate anything on your own, or trying to expand your economy outside of the oil market. WAY TO GO!!!

Look who is talking, Your own countrie export is 79% Oil.

 

[Kompromat]

Hope they come with domestic assembly and with some degree of TOT. Leopards will 'whip' Abrahams or ANY other tank on the planet !

 

[Shahin Vatani]

Look who is talking, Your own countrie export is 79% Oil.

Nope its actually under 50% now, don't lie. Considering everything we have been hit with in the past 30 years. Having top 10 automobile industry in the world. Being top 3 in the world for most fruits and vegetables and caviar. Also our science output. Not too bad. We continue to strive to improve, Saudi remain lazy and they will get punished for it sooner or later. I personally bet on sooner

 

[VelocuR]

As a disappointed with Gulf monarchy doesn't willing to purchase our own tank- Al-Khalid or even cooperations of Block 2.

There is still resistance in the German federal government to selling military hardware to Saudis. Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry both oppose it due to security and human rights considerations.

The initial contract for 300 tanks is already ready for signing, but still requires consent from a council of eight German ministers and the Federal Chancellor, who has to approve any export of military technology from the country. So far Germany was reluctant to sell heavy arms to the Gulf nations. RT Source

 

[BordoEnes]

Nope its actually under 50% now, don't lie. Considering everything we have been hit with in the past 30 years. Having top 10 automobile industry in the world. Being top 3 in the world for most fruits and vegetables and caviar. Also our science output. Not too bad. We continue to strive to improve, Saudi remain lazy and they will get punished for it sooner or later. I personally bet on sooner

Geohraphicly abd Policiticly Saudi arabia is in a far better position then Iran, Hopefully saudi arabia will benefit from the oppertunities they get soon.