MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chilean Army purchases 100 Leopard 2 tanks

Chilean Defence minister Jaime Ravinet confirmed Monday that Chile will purchase a hundred refurbished German manufactured Leopard 2 tanks. However the operation will be government to government.

Brushing aside press reports indicating the operation involved 300 armored vehicles, Mr. Ravinet revealed that the 100 Leopard 2 tanks will replace the Leopard 1 model incorporated in the nineties and which have a very limited life span.

"Purchasing the Leopard 1 tanks was a bad decision", admitted Mr. Ravinet recalling they were incorporated in 1998, the last year General Augusto Pinochet was head of the Chilean Army.

"The effective operational hours of the tanks was very limited and the whole operation was tainted with kickbacks, that is why this time there are no middle people, it's a government to government deal", underlined Mr. Ravinet.

The 60 tons Leopard 2 tank has a 120mm gun and was developed in Germany by Krauss-Maffei from Munich in the seventies.

The new tanks to be incorporated to the Chilean Army have NATO standards and will remain operational in Europe until 2025, according to Chilean military sources.