Norway to buy 54 new German Leopard 2 tanks

Europe, News February 6, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

The Norwegian Ministry of Defense has expressed its interest in procuring 54 advanced German-made Leopard 2 tanks instead of South Korean K2 Black Panther tanks.

Norway’s Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram announced that the ministry is eying to buy at least 54 Leopard 2A7 variant tanks made by the Munich-based German arms manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.

The order would be completed in 2026, with an option to procure 18 more tanks. According to a defense ministry spokesperson, Norway would spend $1.93 billion on the program.

Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said, “New main battle tanks are of great importance to the Armed Forces, significantly strengthening the Army. In today’s security situation, European defense cooperation is becoming increasingly important. By procuring German tanks, we ensure that Norway has the same type of tanks as our Nordic neighbors and close allies.”

With the acquisition of the new tanks, Norway also strengthens land force cooperation with Finland and Sweden, two countries that also operate Leopards. When Finland and Sweden become members of NATO, the alliance aims to maintain a powerful force in the North that should be capable of defending the region amid Russia’s increasing aggression.

Norway’s Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram stressed, “Germany is among our main partners in the field of defense and security policy. The procurement and industrial cooperation on main battle tanks with Germany builds on and reinforces an already established strategic materiel and industrial cooperation.”

Norwegian politicians and administrative officials for long debated the possibility to upgrade their tanks. On the table was also the South Korean K2 Black Panther, a new product in the European market. There has been strong disagreement within the Armed Forces about the acquisition of new weapons. In late 2022, the Head of the Norwegian Defense Eirik Kristoffersen made headlines when he announced that he wanted to drop the acquisition of tanks altogether. However, the acquisition of the new tanks became inevitable after Norway announce to denote its older tanks to Ukraine.

*^{Germany’s Leopard 2A7V tanks. (Image Credit: Bundeswehr/NATO)}*

Last month, Oslo announced that Norway would donate its older Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine for its fight against the Russian invasion. Ukraine has been asking its allies and partners for more weapons and especially tanks, as it braces for an intense attack by the Russian forces in the coming spring.

Since Ukraine’s plea to acquire more tanks, the demand for new tanks and other heavy weapons has spiked in Europe. Several European countries, including Poland and Lithuania, have announced to send their older tanks to Ukraine and replace them with newer variants. Manufacturers of new tanks, especially the German-based makers of the Leopard tanks, have come into sharp focus recently.

Tank manufacturers have been trying to keep up with increased demand. However, the spike in demand has also opened doors for new sellers to enter the market. The German manufacturer of the Leopard 2, which is the standard main battle tank for most of Europe, has faced increased competition from Korea’s willingness to transfer technology and localize production in European countries.

Poland is an example where the government inked significant contracts with South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem and Hanwha Defense to produce 1,000 K2 tanks and 672 K9 self-propelled howitzers.