Just one day after approval by the Budgets Committee,ESuT reported,the framework contract for the procurement of 123 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks was concluded today. As reported by the Federal Armed Forces Procurement Office BAAINBw, President Annette Lehnigk-Emden and CEO of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), Ralf Ketzel, met to sign the contract at BAAINBw in Koblenz.
The contract stipulates the development and delivery of 18 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks for the German Army at a price of 525.6 million euros by 2026. The contract also includes a package for logistical support including spare parts and maintenance for five years, writes the BAAINBw. The optional delivery of 105 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks has been agreed for a further 2.4 billion euros. The BMVg offers other nations to take contingents from it.
The Czech Republic, who want to buy 70 Leopard 2 A8s, has already officially registered as the first interested party.ESUT reported. Als weitere Interessenten sind bekannt: Litauen, die bereits mit dem Boxer gute Erfahrungen gemacht haben, Italien, die den Ariete mit rund 200 Leopard 2A8 ablösen wollen sowie die Niederlande, die im deutsch-niederländischen Panzerbataillon 414 mit dem Leopard 2A6 vertraut sind. Überdies gibt es in den osteuropäischen NATO-Ländern noch Bedarf an Ausstattung mit modernen Kampfpanzern. Vielleicht hat ja auch die Bundeswehr noch weiteren Bedarf an Kampfpanzern, gilt es doch der NATO für 2025 und 2027 zugesagten voll einsatzbereiten Divisionen mit entsprechenden Waffensystemen voll auszustatten.
With so much interest, it seems questionable whether the number of units set out in the framework agreement is sufficient. If the interest is translated into orders, the production capacity at the manufacturer KMW and its many suppliers must also be significantly expanded. After all, no buyer wants to wait until well after 2030 for their main battle tanks. Ketzel explained in interviews at the beginning of the year that the lead time until the start of production of a tank was around a year, and ramping up production in the case of a large order would take one to two years. During the Cold War, almost one tank was delivered per day at times. Now a rate of three to four main battle tanks per month is reached, taking into account orders from Hungary, Norway and Germany.
The A8 is the most modern version of the main battle tank that has been in series production since 1978. The version represents a further development based on the Leopard 2 A7V, which, among other things, provides for the active distance protection system Trophy, explained the responsible project manager in BAAINBw. The troops receive a state-of-the-art and high-performance system that combines protection, effectiveness and mobility in an excellent way.
To date, around 3,600 Leopard 2s in numerous versions are in use in over 20 countries, primarily in Europe and NATO, but also in Asia and the Middle East.
The changed security situation with the focus on land combat has increased interest in highly protected combat vehicles with high firepower. Canada and the Netherlands, for example, went back to using the leopard after they phased it out.
Gerhard Heiming
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