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The increase in the number of Leopard 2 A8 main battle tanks (announced last year and agreed in a framework agreement with KNDSESUT reported) now seems to be coming to fruition. As Der Spiegel reported today, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is to request the procurement of 105 Leopard 2 A8 battle tanks in a confidential submission to the Bundestag's budget committee.

Possible design of a Leopard 2A8. (Photo: KMW)

In the framework contract from May 2023, the Bundeswehr ordered 18 Leopard 2 A8 main battle tanks at a price of 526 million euros for immediate delivery as a replacement for the delivery to Ukraine. A further 105 tanks have been agreed as an option. The procurement volume for this is stated to be 2.4 billion euros. According to the contract, the 18 main battle tanks are to be delivered between August 2025 and July 2026. With the duration of the framework contract over seven years, the delivery period for the 105 tanks is from 2026 to 2030. The contract also stipulates that KNDS Germany will ensure the availability of 60 percent of the tanks in E0 (operational) condition and in the first five years 90 percent guaranteed in condition E1 (conditionally ready for use). A double-digit million euro per year is earmarked for the 18 tanks.

105 main battle tanks enable around two tank battalions to be equipped. It is known that the Bundeswehr wants to equip the Lithuania Brigade with the most modern equipment. The battle tanks to be ordered will probably be used for this.

With the procurement, the Bundeswehr's inventory of tanks would increase to around 425 units, still far below the 2,125 Leopard 2s that the Bundeswehr had at the end of the 1990s. If the procurement can be initiated, the Bundeswehr will have two tasks to solve on the tank: the implementation of a transitional solution until the introduction of the Main Ground Combat System (MCGS) and the MGCS itself. There was inspiration for this at the Eurosatory arms trade fair, which has just ended given.

The Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 was presented at Eurosatory as a bridge technology to the MGCS. (Photo: Gerhard Heiming)

The prerequisite for the call-off of the 105 battle tanks from the framework contract is the approval of the project by the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag. Apparently the necessary 25 million euro proposal has already been submitted to the Budget Committee. These are probably the “classified documents” from which Der Spiegel quotes. Before the summer break, there will be a meeting in each of the next two weeks in which the Budget Committee can approve the proposal.

According to known processes, the call from the framework agreement could take place immediately after approval by the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag. Further equipping the Bundeswehr with modern equipment is a welcome step and makes clear the Defense Minister's determination to make the Bundeswehr fit for war. In this respect, we are looking forward to the budget discussions in the coming weeks with excitement. In addition to the 105 new Leopard 2 tanks, the Defense Minister has ordered another two F 126 frigates and wants to expand SatComBw. According to our conservative estimates, the total amount is almost ten billion euros in the last few weeks alone, which has to be supported by the federal government.

Gerhard Heiming

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