Yesterday’s meeting in Berlin between the German Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius and the Croatian Minister of Defence Ivan Anušić brought an unexpected but pleasant surprise.
As both ministers announced in a joint press statement, Germany and Croatia have agreed on a new Ringtausch deal, which enables the delivery of 30 M-84A4 MBTs and 30 M-80 IFVs from Croatia to Ukraine.
While Ukraine has been using the M-80 in its own army since mid-2022 thanks to a delivery from Slovenia, the M-84A4 is still “unknown” to the Ukrainian army, although the operation of these vehicles should not be a problem as it is based on the T-72, which is widely used in Ukraine.
However, the M-84A4 has received some modernisations that set it apart from its Soviet original. The tanks have received a new day/night sight, a modern ballistic computer and improved elevation and traverse sensors, as well as a more powerful engine and a more modern communication system.
As Anušić announced, the delivery will already take place before the end of this year and will include a comprehensive spare parts package as well as ammunition for the main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.
This means Ukraine will be supplied with additional important military equipment within the next approximately eight weeks, which is urgently needed in the ongoing fight against the Russian aggression.
According to the press statements, Croatia is carrying out a fundamental modernisation of its own army and is planning to procure up to 50 German-made Leopard 2A8 MBTs.
In return for the delivery of the 60 armoured vehicles from Croatian army stocks, Germany will compensate them with a significant amount of money. As a spokesperson for the German Ministry of Defence told me, Germany is paying €144 million for these vehicles.
Croatia will use these funds to cover part of the procurement costs for the up to 50 Leopard 2A8s, whose delivery is expected to start already in 2026.
Based on the details we have on the procurement of 123 Leopard 2A8 MBTs for the German Bundeswehr, the costs for Croatia would have to exceed €1 billion.
Regarding the now agreed Ringtausch, it is also important to mention that the press statements of the German and Croatian defence ministries both indicate that there will probably be additional deliveries to Ukraine in the future, as both mention the delivery now made public will be the “first tranche”.
According to the local media outlet Jutarnji, Croatia currently operates around 70 M-84 MBTs, which, according to their information, are in good condition and have been regularly maintained.
The Ringtausch now concluded with Croatia is already the second Ringtausch that has been concluded in 2024. At the end of July, an agreement was reached to deliver 14 Leopard 2A4 MBTs with spare parts and ammunition as well as a Bergepanzer 3 ARV to the Czech Republic in return for deliveries to Ukraine.
Croatia has now become the sixth country with which Germany has concluded a Ringtausch agreement, after the Czech Republic, Greece, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
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