German Defense Contractor, Looks to Upgrade , Ukraine's Tank Arsenal.
'Newsweek' reports that Ukraine may be on the verge of receiving powerful new tanks from its Western allies.
According to Armin Papperger, CEO of German defense contractor Rheinmetall, his company has been in talks to deliver Ukraine its advanced Panther battle tank.
The news comes after previous announcements that German-made Leopard 2 tanks along with U.S.-made M1A2 Abrams tanks will also be sent to Ukraine.
Once delivered, Ukraine will be the first country to receive Panther tanks since they debuted in Paris at a trade show last summer.
'Newsweek' reports that they have been billed as the world's strongest military tanks.
According to CEO Papperger, the delivery of the Panther tanks to Ukraine would not take place for another "15 to 18 months.".
We welcome the many recent announcements by our partners and allies who have committed to sending security assistance to Ukraine, Garron Garn, U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson, via 'Newsweek' .
According to Ian Williams, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies' (CSIS) Missile Defense Project, the decision aids Germany as well.
Williams suggests that the news may help promote the new line of tanks and get production off the ground.
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It serves a lot of purposes from a [German] defense industrial perspective, Ian Williams, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies' (CSIS) Missile Defense Project, via 'Newsweek'
