costs of tanks costs of tanks in the military graph

Replacing the system that controls the gunfire could cost 350,000 euros per tank, replacing asbestos in the engine could cost 75,000 euros, he said. He said his selling price could range anywhere from several hundred thousand to close to a million euros but that would include work to refit the tanks, which he insisted could be highly expensive.

That would mean a unit price of 40,000 euros for 50 tanks, or some 60,600 euros for 33. Versluys said his firm bought the 50 tanks for about 2 million euros and only 33 were useable. Versluys has taken the unusual step of going public to dispute the minister's assertions, offering a rare insight into the workings of a business that often prefers to keep a low profile. Dedonder declined a request for an interview. 31, 2023.ĭedonder hasn't named Versluys's company, OIP Land Systems, in her accusations. The spat highlights a predicament faced by Western governments as they scramble to find more weapons for Ukraine after almost a year of intense warfare arms they discarded as obsolete are now in high demand, and many are now in the hands of private companies.įreddy Versluys, the CEO of Belgian defense company OIP Land Systems, looks on near armored vehicles in a hangar in Tournais, Belgium, Jan. Tanks sold for 10-15,000 euros each are being offered for sale at 500,000 euros, despite not being operational, she has said. But she has blasted the prices quoted as unreasonable and extremely high. 'Maybe tomorrow we will have to scrap them 10 years later they can still be there.'ĭedonder has said the government has explored the idea of buying back tanks to send to Ukraine.

So there's always a possibility either to sell spare parts or to sell additional tanks,' he said. 'There are still countries in the world who have these Leopard 1 tanks. FILE - Belgium's Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder speaks at a news conference in Madrid, Spain, June 30, 2022.Īsked why he bought the tanks, Versluys, a silver-haired man in his mid-60s, said that was his company's business model – it bought unwanted military equipment in the hope that someone else would want it in future.

Costs of tanks costs of tanks in the military graph