Procurement of 18 Leopard 2 A8 and 12 2000 self-propelled howitzers approved

At today's meeting, the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag approved the framework contract for the procurement of 18 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks and the release of two options for the procurement of 12 self-propelled howitzers from an existing framework contract. The Ministry of Finance had forwarded the corresponding applications from the Ministry of Defense to the budget committee as part of 25 million euro templates. According to well-informed circles, the signing of the contract for the new battle tanks should take place on May 25, 2023.

Also approved was the procurement of simulators for the five Multi Mission Maritime Aircraft P-8A Poseidon, reported on elsewhere.

In June and September 2022, the federal government provided Ukraine with a total of 14 tank howitzers 2000 and in March 2023 18 Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks from Bundeswehr stocks for the fight against Russian aggression. In order to complete the equipment of the troops again, combat vehicles are procured in the appropriate number. Funding comes from the federal government's upgrading initiative, for which 60 funds have been set aside in the individual plan.

2000 tank

In March, the Bundeswehr concluded a framework agreement for the procurement of a total of 28 tank howitzers 2000 and initially only called for ten systems (ESuTreported. The contract only allowed orders of ten, 16, 22 or 28 vehicles. As a result, the scope of the fee could not be met in the first attempt. Now the Bundeswehr is having eight self-propelled howitzers cannibalized to obtain spare parts, as reported by MdB Ingo Gädechens (CDU), defense rapporteur in the budget committee, and has thus created the basis for financing the howitzers from the individual plan 60. Soldier & Technik had already made the decision on May 12threported.

Im Rahmenvertrag ist der Gesamtauftragswert mit 470,2 Millionen Euro ausgeworfen, von denen 184,2 Millionen Euro für den Erstabruf von zehn Systemen verbraucht werden. Daraus ergibt sich für die Lose 2 und 3 mit insgesamt zwölf Haubitzen ein Auftragswert von 190,7 Millionen Euro. Die Auslieferung wird sich an den für das erste Los vereinbarten Lieferplan anschließen. Demnach wird die Lieferung der beiden Folgelose im Zeitraum 2027 bis 2030 erfolgen, falls nicht die Produktionsrate deutlich erhöht wird.

Leopard 2A8 main battle tank

With the replacement of the Leopard 2 main battle tanks that have been sold, the Bundeswehr is introducing a new version of the main battle tank, which has been in series production since 1978, with the Leopard 2 A8. Obsolescence and constantly required adjustments no longer allow procurement in one of the previous versions, writes the BMVg. The basis for the A8 is the latest version of the Leopard 2, which is currently being built for Hungary. This will be adapted for the German Army in order to achieve maximum compatibility with as few deviations as possible. ESuT had technical details and background information in mid-Aprilreported.

In a seven-year framework agreement with the manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), the Bundeswehr is creating the conditions for the procurement of up to 123 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks. 18 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks will be procured as a firm order in order to replenish the Bundeswehr's stock of 320 tanks in the troops and eight in the AIN area. A target price of EUR 525.6 million was agreed for this. The first two tanks are scheduled for delivery in August 2025 if the contract is signed in June, as planned. The other weapon systems are to follow between November 2025 and June 2026.

In addition, KMW must ensure the availability of 60 percent of the tanks in the E0 (operational) condition and 90 percent in the E1 (conditionally operational) condition in the first five years. The mission profile on which it is based provides for a mileage of 1,000 km per year and 100 shots with the on-board cannon in the same period. This is reflected in the payment plan, which will reach its maximum of 356 million euros in 2026. In the following years up to 2030, double-digit million euro amounts are listed for the availability guarantee.

The other 105 main battle tanks can be used to increase the Bundeswehr's inventory or for procurement from other nations. Batch sizes of seven, eight and 38 tanks are defined for this. The same conditions laid down in the framework agreement then apply to all customers. The order value for the other tanks is estimated at 2.4 billion euros.

Subcontractors have not yet been named. From the list of essential assemblies it can be seen that, as before, MTU (engine), Renk (transmission), Rheinmetall (weapon system and ammunition), Hensoldt Optronics (thermal imaging device and laser range finder) and EuroTrophy (active protection) will be involved.

Rating

With the replacement of the self-propelled howitzers and main battle tanks, the equipment gap that has arisen in the troops is filled again. While it took nine months for howitzers to sign a contract, it took just three months for main battle tanks. Nevertheless, the troops still have to wait around three years until the necessary weapon systems are available again. One bright spot is that the newly built combat vehicles have been modernized as much as possible.

Gädechens had already criticized the hesitant approach of the federal government in the framework agreement for the tank howitzer in 2000. Now he renewed the criticism and sees a big discrepancy between the speeches and actions of the federal government. There is further need to equip the troops in accordance with the federal government's commitments to NATO. "Why don't we take the opportunity now to order enough to cover the demand," says Gädechens literally. "It is only procured what was handed in - for everything else, the federal government sees itself unable to make budgetary funds available, despite all the Sunday speeches to the contrary."

It is becoming clear that the change in era proclaimed by the Federal Chancellor has still not reached the government and has not yet reached the new Minister Pistorius, Gädechens continued. "Despite 15 months of war on European soil and the well-known equipment shortages of the Bundeswehr, ideal opportunities are not used to order the necessary number of weapon systems and to cover the urgent needs of the troops."

Gerhard Heiming

Related topics

Rheinmetall is supplying weapon systems, fire control technology and sensors for Norwegian Leopard 2 A7NOR main battle tanks 2. Los Trophy for US main battle tank Abrams Leopard 2 A7V goes to the troops More protection for Turkish Leopard 2 A4 Joint venture Euro Trophy is to be founded Export license for Leopard 1 New battle tanks - Bundeswehr should receive Leopard 2 A8 Leopard 2 A4 in ring exchange for Slovakia and the Czech Republic First pictures of Trophy Leopard 2