Cdn. government to deploy Leopard 2 tanks for NATO operations in Europe
The tanks and 35 support vehicles will come from Gagetown, N.B., and Edmonton.
The Canadian Armed Forces will deploy 15 Leopard 2 battle tanks and 130 personnel to a NATO force in Latvia by next year.
Defence Minister Anita Anand made the announcement from Brussels, where she is meeting with defence ministers from countries that support Ukraine’s efforts to fight Russia’s invasion.
Canada already leads a 10-country NATO battlegroup in Latvia and negotiations are underway to grow that force to a battle-ready brigade.
The tanks and 35 support vehicles will come from Gagetown, N.B., and Edmonton.
It’s expected that the vehicles will arrive in Latvia by the fall, with the full group of personnel in place by next spring.
Anand says her counterparts at NATO are enthusiastic about the idea of Ukraine joining the military alliance when the time is right.
