![]() ![]() ![]() “But buying those decommissioned tanks was a massive gamble for us. ![]() “It was the market price because of the geopolitical situation at the time,” he said. In one of Versluys’s bigger deals, he bought 50 Leopard 1 tanks that the Belgian government decommissioned in 2014 for €37,000 each (about £29,600). The defence cuts were accelerated by the 2008 economic crisis, and by 2014, the year Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea, European military spending had reached a historic low. ![]() Since the fall of the Soviet Union, European nations have sought to replace some of the heavy and costly-to-maintain cold war-era tanks with the lighter vehicles needed for shorter peacekeeping missions around the world. Versluys bought up most of his current stock over the last two decades, acquiring the tanks directly from European governments cutting their defence spending. Walking Tournai’s narrow, cobblestoned back streets and boulevards, it is hard to imagine that such weapons are only a 15-minute walk away. She grew up bilingual in German and conversational in French.Austrian-flagged hardware in the OIP hangar. Away from her pen, Erika runs, skis and enjoys all things ocean and outdoors. She's won many first-place awards from the Los Angeles and Orange County press clubs. Ford Foundation has awarded her coverage of National Defense. She's a three-time award winner from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation for telling stories of Marines in local communities. While adept at reporting hard news, she's known for telling human stories of conflict, struggle and joy. Erika has a comprehensive understanding of issues affecting South Orange County communities, including coastal access and the environment, the plight of marine mammal entanglements, water quality, development, local harbors and quality of life in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and San Clemente. She's reported from Navy ships, Osprey aircraft and training ranges throughout Southern California, explaining national and international warfare tactics and military equipment. She covers military and national defense from West Coast bases to the Pentagon. Erika Ritchie is an award-winning staff writer for the Orange County Register and 10 other Southern California News Group newspapers. ![]()
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