Saudi Arabia is considering the acquisition of German tanks
Saudi Arabia plans to buy 30 German armored vehicles Dingo 2 worth about 100 million euros, said in its Sunday release Bild am Sonntag.
Citing sources close to the negotiations on the deal, the newspaper reports that Riyadh could eventually purchase up to 100 Dingo armored vehicles with increased mine protection.
Creator Dingo 2 Krauss-Maffei Wegmann advertise it as "the safest and most protected wheeled vehicle in its class" with "outstanding performance on extremely difficult terrain and in extreme climatic conditions."
The car is also equipped with a system of protection against nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
The National Security Council of Germany of which Chancellor Angela Merkel is a member has not yet made a final decision on the deal, but in principle the green light has already been given, the article says.
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly shown interest in German tanks. Earlier this year, Bild am Sonntag reported, citing government sources, that Riyadh wanted to buy 600-800 Leopard tanks, twice as much as originally thought.
For many decades, Germany refused to sell such heavy weapons to Saudi Arabia because of concerns over the state of human rights and fears for Israel’s security.
Opposition politicians and even some members of the ruling center-right coalition Merkel criticized the sale of tanks, especially in light of the democratic uprisings in the Middle East.
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