Between 50 and 55 Ukrainian soldiers will arrive in Spain in the next few days to participate in a management and maintenance program for Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks. This was announced by the Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, from Brussels, where she participated on Tuesday and Wednesday in various meetings of Ukraine's allies.
"Throughout this week, Ukrainian soldiers will arrive who are going to receive training in Spain in the use of the Leopard and in maintenance," the minister revealed, in a statement in which she wanted to insist on the need for coordination of all the countries for the shipment of the Leopard cars "which will be at the end of March", has specified.
As EL MUNDO has learned, these soldiers will receive a specific instruction of several weeks in San Gregorio, where decades ago the consultant Indra set up the only simulator that Spain has of the old Leopard system, the car with which the soldiers will carry out the counteroffensive in spring at the front. In addition to this simulator, the Ukrainian military will be able to carry out live-fire maneuvers at the San Gregorio facilities, which is the largest maneuver field in Europe.
Robles explained that the soldiers "are going to receive training in Spain in the use of the Leopard and in maintenance", two inseparable programs, since knowing how to drive this tank is just as important as its maintenance which, as the minister explained, "requires that it be daily."
The minister did not want, however, to specify how many tanks Spain will send. The Ministry decided a week ago to send to the Santa Bárbara factory, in Seville, five Leopards of the 53 that remain hibernated at the Casetas Logistics Base, where they are subjected to a fourth-step review. The professionals at this defense contractor know that they have just over a month to fine-tune these five cars that, except for surprise, seem like the initial number of Leopards that Spain is going to send.
Ukraine has also asked the allies for combat aircraft, a plan in which the national government will not participate, since there are no F16s in the Defense inventory, the type of fighter Ukraine needs. It should be remembered that all the material sent must be similar, so that it is easier to maintain, repair and use in the field.
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