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The Franco-German armaments group KNDS has received 350 orders from five countries for the latest version of the Leopard 2 battle tank, a company spokesman told dpa.<\/p>\n
Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Lithuania and the Czech Republic have placed orders for the latest upgrade of the Leopard 2, originally introduced in 1979.<\/p>\n
The German military, the Bundeswehr, has so far ordered 123 Leopard 2 A8 tanks. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced during the tank’s first public presentation that Berlin intends to seek approval for a further 75 units.<\/p>\n
KNDS Germany said it is also in talks with additional customers.<\/p>\n
The new A8 variant is equipped, among other features, with a protection system from Israeli manufacturer Rafael that is designed to intercept incoming projectiles and drones before impact.<\/p>\n
KNDS has not disclosed contract values or delivery timelines, but current orders already amount to several billion euros and will keep production running for years.<\/p>\n
A single Leopard 2 costs well into the tens of millions of euros, with additional expenses for maintenance and servicing.<\/p>\n
The German government expects to spend more than \u20ac3.4 billion ($3.9 billion) on the 123 Leopard 2 A8 tanks already ordered.<\/p>\n
According to KNDS, around 3,300 Leopard 2 tanks delivered over past decades remain in active service with the armed forces of 23 countries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n