The A8 is the first new Leopard tank to be built since the early 1990s.
KNDS debuted the Leopard 2A8 main battle tank, signaling Germany’s modern rearmament.
The latest version of the most popular European tank promises to be impressive.
KNDS described the rollout of the Leopard 2A8 as “an important milestone for the modern equipment of the Bundeswehr and for European cooperation in the field of land systems.”
The new version of the Leopard brings another significant milestone for the German military. The Leopard 2A8 is the first main battle tank to have been designed and manufactured specifically for the needs of the German military. Although KNDS already has several customers for the A8, including Norway, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Sweden, the latest version of the Leopard was specifically developed for the Bundeswehr.
Moreover, the A8 is the first new Leopard tank to be built since the early 1990s. Although there have been several versions of the popular main battle tank in the past three decades, they have been upgrades to an existing tank. The Leopard 2A8 will be brand new.
Deliveries will start in 2026 for the Norwegian Army, 2027 for the Bundeswehr, and 2028 for the Czech Army.
On the sidelines of the public rollout of the new tank, German defense minister Boris Pistorius announced that the German Army intends to order another 75 Leopard 2A8s on top of the current order of 123 tanks. If the amended contract goes through, the German Army will have a total of 198.
Norway has ordered 54 tanks, the Netherlands has ordered 46 tanks, and Lithuania, Sweden, and the Netherlands each have ordered 44.
Deliveries will start in 2026 for the Norwegian Army, 2027 for the Bundeswehr, and 2028 for the Czech Army.
Several European countries are operating the Leopard main battle tank, with several hundred tanks in service, making the German tank the most popular on the Continent. Versions of the tank are also seeing active combat in Ukraine.
About the Leopard 2A8 Tank
- Year Introduced: 2025
- Number Built: Approximately 430 tanks on order
- Length: 25.3 feet
- Total weight, battle-ready: 70 tons
- Suspensions: Torsion bar suspension system
- Engine: 1,600 HP engine
- Armament: 120mm L/55 A1 smoothbore barrel.
- Top Speed: 40 miles per hour (70 Km/h)
- Range: 280 miles (450 kilometers)
- Crew: Four
German Military Reawakening
The upcoming entry of the Leopard 2A8 in the German military is just another sign of Berlin’s “military reawakening.” Since the end of World War II, Germany has had a curious approach to all things military.
Feeling guilty about the war crimes of the Nazi regime, successive German governments ignored the German military, often only investing enough to keep the lights on. However, the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has poked Germany out of its “military hibernation.” The Kremlin’s truculence in Ukraine and against NATO and Europe has forced Berlin to invest increasingly more in its military capabilities. The German military, for example, plans to grow its military by 80,000 troops in the next few years (260,000 from 180,000). Moreover, the German government has agreed to spend above NATO’s 3.5 percent gross domestic product requirement on its defense.
Germany’s reemergence as an important military power will only benefit NATO and Europe. In this age of interconnected economies and even shared borders, the threat of another European war between Germany and France is too distant. Thus, unlike in the past, a German rearmament will help Europe.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock.
