KNDS Secures 350 Leopard 2A8 Orders From Five NATO Countries
European defense company KNDS has reportedly received 350 orders for the Leopard 2 main battle tank’s latest build since 1992: the Leopard 2A8.
The Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Norway placed orders for the 2A8 before its unveiling in late November at the manufacturer’s site in Munich, Germany.
KNDS is also in talks with other customers, anticipating more potential orders, a spokesperson informed DPA News.
The Bundeswehr has ordered 123 tanks, with deliveries starting in 2027, and plans to acquire 75 more. The first batch will be deployed to its armed formation in Lithuania — marking Berlin’s first permanent tank deployment outside its borders since World War II — to bolster NATO’s eastern flank.
Vilnius and Prague will each receive 44 tanks, with the latter planning an additional 19 in engineering, recovery, bridge, and driver-training variants.
Meanwhile, Oslo is set to receive 54 Leopard 2A8s.
In May, Dutch State Secretary Gijs Tuinman signed an agreement to buy at least 46 Leopard 2A8s to rebuild its tank fleet after phasing them out in 2011, with deliveries from 2028 to 2031 and a planned option for six more tanks.
The Leopard 2A8
The Leopard 2’s upgraded version maintains the tank’s standard weapons — a 120mm smooth-bore main cannon and two 7.62mm machine guns — with a four-person crew capacity.
However, the 2A8 features enhanced survivability with the integration of the Trophy active protection system, which provides 360-degree protection by detecting and countering anti-tank threats, such as guided missiles and drones.
Moreover, the 2A8 is equipped with an improved fire control system, as well as improved blast resistance.
