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The armored automobiles are a part of Switzerland’s “strategic reserve,” MPs have argued
The Swiss parliament’s Higher Home Safety Committee has mentioned German-made Leopard tanks kind a vital a part of the nation’s army reserves and shouldn’t be returned.
Switzerland makes use of Leopard 87 tanks, that are its personal model of the German-made Leopard 2. Ninety-six of the heavy armor items have been retired and are at present saved at depots. A lot of the tanks have been produced in Switzerland below a German license, however the first batch of 35 was produced in Germany in 1987.
Some Swiss MPs had prompt handing 30 of the retired tanks again to Germany, only a week after Berlin introduced its choice to ship 14 Leopard 2 tanks from its personal shares to Kiev, to assist within the battle towards Russia.
On Friday, nearly all of the Safety Committee mentioned that the nation’s decommissioned tanks “signify a strategic reserve and should be preserved,” relatively than despatched again to their producer. The tanks might nonetheless be used to totally equip Swiss battalions or as a supply of spare components for the present tank fleet, the committee mentioned in a press release.
The group additionally rejected one other parliamentary initiative calling for the Swiss Army {Hardware} Act to be amended to permit the re-export of Swiss arms to Ukraine. Presently, the legislation forbids different nations from re-exporting any Swiss army tools or spare components, until they’re constructed into different nations’ army merchandise or if their position in potential army tools is “insignificant.”
Making an exception for Ukraine would “violate the precept of equal remedy [of other nations] enshrined within the Neutrality Legislation,” the committee argued.
On the similar time, the committee supported the thought of enjoyable re-export restrictions by limiting the time different nations couldn’t ship Swiss arms to 3rd international locations to 5 years. The waiver would solely have an effect on 25 Swiss companions, together with Germany, Italy, France, Japan, and the US, the committee mentioned.
These international locations ought to nonetheless decide to not promoting Swiss-made arms to nations “concerned in inside or worldwide armed conflicts, wherein human rights are significantly violated or the place there’s a threat that the army tools in query will likely be used towards [the] civilian inhabitants,” the committee’s assertion learn.
Regardless of becoming a member of anti-Russian sanctions, Switzerland has maintained a impartial coverage relating to arms provides. Bern beforehand rejected Berlin’s calls for for ammunition for Kiev, and turned down a NATO request on treating wounded Ukrainians, arguing that civilians have been indistinguishable from troopers.
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