The German Army is receiving new Leopard main battle tanks in the latest 2 A8 version. Germany handed over a total of 18 Leopard 2 A6s to Ukraine in March – the same number are now being procured.
A contract to this effect was signed this week at the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) this week. The Budget Committee of the German Bundestag had previously approved the project with a total volume of around 525 million euros, less than three months after the start of the procurement procedure and therefore in record time. “Not only will the material handed over to Ukraine be replaced in the shortest possible time, the tanks will also be of type 2 A8 – the latest version of the proven main battle tank,” emphasizes the responsible project manager at BAAINBw. This version represents a further development based on the Leopard 2 A7V, which includes the Trophy active protection system. The troops will thus receive a highly modern and powerful system that combines protection, effectiveness and mobility in an excellent way. The contract also includes a logistics support package and the option to supply up to 104 additional main battle tanks including spare parts and maintenance for five years. The first main battle tanks will be delivered as early as 2025. All 18 Leopard 2 A8s should then be available to the troops by the end of 2026.
Click here for more news about Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.
