Lithuania has appropriated roughly €700 million for 44 advanced Leopard 2A8 tanks—but rather than buying them from Germany outright, it has arranged to build them in its own factories.
The government of Lithuania has approved a defense plan from the Ministry of Economy and Innovation that called for the German-made Leopard 2A8 main battle tank (MBT) to be domestically assembled in the Baltic nation to bolster its military capability development. The approval ensures that the program will be placed on Vilnius’ List of Large Projects, and follows calls by the government to increase its key defense initiatives in support of national and European defense capabilities.
In total, the Lithuanian government has approved €710.5 million ($826 million) to be allocated from the State Defence Fund for 2026 to support the local assembly of the German MBTs.
“For the first time, some of the advanced NATO-standard tanks will be assembled in Lithuania, and the infrastructure created will ensure their long-term technical maintenance and readiness. This strengthens the Lithuanian Armed Forces, promotes the growth of the defence industry and contributes to increasing Europe’s defence capabilities,” said Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas.
The future assembly facility will be built in the Kaunas Free Economic Zone, with Lithuania Defense Services (LDS), the joint venture company established in 2022 between Vilnius and German arms makers Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, pledging to invest around 50 million euros ($57 million) in the project. It will create upwards of 80 domestic jobs by 2028.
“This project is not only a significant investment in Lithuania’s defence industry, but also an important step in strengthening our state’s security,” said Minister of Economy and Innovation Edvinas Grikšas.
“Tank assembly in Lithuania increases the resilience of supply chains, reduces dependence on external suppliers and creates long-term added value for the national economy,” Grikšas said. “At the same time, it is a clear signal that the state is consistently helping to implement strategically important investments by creating conditions for them to grow and create high-value jobs in Lithuania.
LDS already supports and services German-made combat vehicles used by Lithuania and its NATO neighbors. It also conducted repairs and refurbishment of equipment supplied by alliance partners to Ukraine since mid-2022.
About the Leopard 2A8 MBT
The Leopard 2A8 is the latest variant of the German-made MBT that first entered service in October 1979. Produced by European defense conglomerate KNDS and based on the Leopard 2A7+, the new model is outfitted with several notable improvements, including the “Trophy” Active Protection System (APS) and a better all-around (360-degree) awareness system. The upgraded variant features the latest-generation passive multi-layer composite modular armor, comprising steel, tungsten, composite filler, and ceramics.
- Year Introduced: Not yet introduced (anticipated 2027)
- Number Built: Unknown (in production)
- Length: 9.97 m (32.7 ft)
- Total weight, battle-ready: ~65–67 tonnes
- Suspensions: Reinforced torsion bar
- Engine: 1,500 hp diesel engine, potentially with improved cooling / upgraded for better performance
- Armament: 120mm smoothbore cannon; two coaxial machine guns
- Top Speed: 65–70 km/h (40–43 mph) on road
- Range: ~400–450 km (250–280 mi)
- Crew: 4
The 28A model is fitted with a three-man turret that houses the main 120mm L55 smoothbore gun produced by Rheinmetall AG. This is an upgraded version of the L44 gun used on earlier Leopard 2 models. The L55 is reported to be about 1.3 meters (4.2 feet) longer than the previous gun, providing increased muzzle velocity and improved accuracy, range, and penetration. The new main gun can also fire a variety of ordnance, including APFSDS (Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot), HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank), and multipurpose ammunition.
The overall layout of the modernized tanks is similar to other models. It is powered by an upgraded 1,600-hp engine, enabling the Leopard 2A8 to exceed 70 km/h (44 mph).
Why Lithuania Wants the Leopard Tank
Lithuania has more reason than most countries in Europe to worry about defense issues. The small Baltic nation borders both Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad and its vassal state of Belarus to the southeast. Though it is the only one of the Baltic states not to border Russia proper, this comes as little comfort, given that Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine through Belarus in 2022 with the approval of longtime leader Alexander Lukashenko.
Because of their close proximity to Russia, all three Baltic states have consistently met or exceeded NATO’s spending targets, and were enthusiastic supporters of the decision last year to raise the alliance-wide defense spending benchmark from 2 percent of GDP to 5 percent. As part of the increase, Lithuania is investing heavily in its own defense, and it is on track to procure 44 Leopard 2A8 MBTs, which will establish a national tank battalion. Delivery of the tanks is expected to begin in 2028 and continue through 2030, with a large share of the assembly occurring domestically.
The defense funding is also supporting the building of infrastructure for the German Bundeswehr’s Panzerbrigade 45 ‘Litauen’ (Lithuanian Brigade), the first German military unit to be permanently deployed abroad since World War II. The unit will operate 105 Leopard 2A8s.
The stationing of German forces in Lithuania is intended to deter Moscow and to ensure that Berlin has time to respond should Russia mount an invasion.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines, and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
