In one of the largest Swedish weapons deals in the post-Cold War era, the government has announced a $1.97 billion contract on purchasing 44 new Leopard 2 A8 tanks and upgrading its 66 existing older Leopard 2 tanks.
While costs and delivery dates were not made public in the statement, the Lithunian minister told the Baltic News Service that the goal is to have the tanks by 2030.
As threats rapidly evolve, digital engineering, manufacturing capacity and robust supply chains are critical to meeting challenges.
Jean-Paul Alary, currently an executive at Safran Aircraft Engines, will formally take charge of the firm on April, 1 2025, KNDS announced.
The system is already in use on Israeli armored vehicles, and is being upgraded based on Israel's experience in the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.
“The fire power of the Leopard 2 A-RC 3.0 is augmented by a guided missile system with which targets beyond line of sight can also be engaged while on the move," said KNDS.
“The parties did not manage to agree on [Leopard] configuration and consequently, talks about Leonardo’s strategic participation in KNDS have also fallen short,” Frank Haun, CEO of KNDS NV, said in a company statement.
Government can’t stop to update systems, so modernization has to happen without interruptions.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius encouraged allies, including the US, to “arrive” at military expenditure of 3 percent GDP – though declined to put forward a timeline for such change to occur.
The future company will commit to a 50/50 workshare split between French and German manufacturers, supported by an “innovative ‘level-pillar approach,’” said manufacturer KNDS.
The Netherlands has been a vital weapons supplier to Kyiv, throughout the war against Russia, most recently pledging an additional $2.2 billion in military aid for 2024.
“What we're seeing now is that the current war in Ukraine illustrates that we need to be capable of staying in the fight for a longer duration and that requires volume,” Lars Lervik, chief of staff of the Norwegian Army, told Breaking Defense.
Breaking Defense Europe will launch May 4 with Tim Martin and Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo as co-editors.
Ukraine has said it will use the US-made tanks sparingly, and analysts told Breaking Defense they're unlikely to make an immediate strategic impact — unless there's a breakthrough.
The Israeli firm also said it's moving to next phase for the Trophy on the latest British Challenger tanks.
The contract includes an option for an addition 105 tanks, in what would reportedly be a $3.2 billion purchase should the government proceed with the whole lot.
The delivery marks the first foreign gifts of Western-made main battle tanks to Ukraine, a long-sought after weapon for Kyiv which it hopes to use as part of a planned upcoming spring offensive.