Netherlands Infomation Services BV, THE HAGUE: The Dutch defence ministry is to sign a contract before the year-end for the purchase of 10 Kodiak tanks from the German Rheinmetall Land Systems. These are to come into operation from 2012.
The vehicles are so-called breakthrough tanks for the engineering corps, which can clear away mines, remove barricades and demolish earthworks. Defence State Secretary Cees van der Knaap says in a letter to parliament that they are intended to replace the present 14 engineering corps tanks. These will come to the end of their technical and economic life in 2008.
To bridge the intervening period, 10 of the 14 existing tanks will be renovated and kept operational with still available reserve components. New reserve components are no longer available for these ageing tanks.
The choice has fallen on the Kodiak tank of the German Rheinmetall Land Systems. It is built on the basis of Leopard 2 tank, which Defence still has.
The ministry has 75.5 million euros available for the tanks. Because Sweden is also buying six of these tanks, that country and the Netherlands can achieve joint financial benefits.
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