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. Other interested parties are known to be: Lithuania, who have already had good experiences with the Boxer, Italy, who want to replace the Ariete with around 200 Leopard 2A8s, and the Netherlands, who are familiar with the Leopard 2A6 in the German-Dutch 414 tank battalion. Moreover, there is still a need in the Eastern European NATO countries to be equipped with modern main battle tanks. Perhaps the Bundeswehr also has a further need for battle tanks, since NATO has to fully equip the fully operational divisions promised for 2025 and 2027 with appropriate weapon systems.
With so much interest, it seems questionable whether the number of units created with the framework agreement is sufficient. If the interest translates into orders, the production capacity at the manufacturer KMW and its many suppliers must also be significantly expanded. After all, no customer wants to wait until well after 2030 for their battle tanks. Ketzel explained in interviews at the beginning of the year that the lead time for the start of production of a tank is about a year, and that ramping up production in the case of a large order takes one to two years. At times during the Cold War almost one tank was delivered per day. Now a rate of three to four main battle tanks per month is reached considering the 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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