When I talked to the LCMMs for the Leopards a coupel years back, they had indicated that we bought a hundred or so Leos from the Germans so we could use the upgraded turrets off them. We paid a $10,000 deposit on the hulls, which we kept, rather than transporting them halfway around the return for the refund. They have been stripped for parts, and many of the hulls have found their way to the ranges (we have a couple here, along with some of the old turrets). If we can buy complete tanks for $25,000 apiece, that is sure a lot more economical than buying new parts for any military piece of equipment.
Only problem with using used parts is that it requires more labour to remove them in the first place, and they may not last as long as a new. Labour is precious asset in the CF these days.
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