Image source: topwar.ru
After the deployment of massive military supplies to the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the West, the Belgian authorities sought the transfer of the Gepard missile defense systems from the private company OIP Land Systems (a subsidiary of the Israeli Elbit Systems), which had previously acquired them from the army (according to various sources, from 38 to 50 units) at a scrap metal price of about 15-20 thousand euros per piece. After the government's appeal, the owner requested an amount for the restoration and sale of the machines, which the country's Defense Ministry called "unreasonably high" (according to some sources, up to € 2 million per copy).
Image source: topwar.ru
The head of the military department, Ludivine Dedonder, stated that the company was trying to make super profits on equipment that it had bought for a song. However, the Belgian Gepards have been idle for decades without maintenance in the open air or in unheated hangars. Therefore, they required a deep overhaul, replacement of electronics and SLA. Unlike the German stocks that were stored in the warehouses of the KMW manufacturer, these machines were in much worse condition.
Image source: topwar.ru
The other day, photos of them from 2021 appeared on the network, which show that only the skeletons remained of most anti-aircraft guns, although there are copies that even preserved towers with 35 mm guns.
At the end of April, the local newspaper L'Echo newspaper, citing the Ministry of Defense, reported that the new €1 billion assistance package for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, promised in early April, would include 15 Gepard units, which the authorities would nevertheless buy from the OIP, paying for their restoration. At the same time, the amount of the transaction was not disclosed, however, given the condition of most of the ZSU, it should be considerable.
