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Norway ordered 54 Leopard 2 tanks from Germany to strengthen its defenses. PHOTO/Reuters
OSLO – Norway going to order 54 tank Leopard 2 new German build for its troops from the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Group. Norway will also get the option to buy 18 more tanks in the future.
“We ensure that we have the same tanks as our Nordic neighbors and many of our main NATO allies,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere in a press conference, Friday (3/2/2023).
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It is also believed that ordering tens of tanks from the German company will strengthen Norwegian-German relations. “This further strengthens our relationship with Germany,” Stoere added, as quoted by Reuters.
The first batch of new tanks is expected to be delivered in 2026. He underlined that the move was “a clear strengthening of Norway’s national defense capability and readiness”. Norway shares a 196 km (122 mi) long Arctic border with Russia.
The government said the procurement was within the cost limit of 19.7 billion Norwegian krone ($1.96 billion), including additional costs beyond the actual purchase of the tanks. The decision ends months of speculation that the government had chosen the German Leopard 2A7 as its main battle tank over South Korean products.
Leaders in Oslo announced on January 25 that Norway would donate several older Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine. Thus, ensuring that new tanks are rolled out on time will be crucial for the country to maintain the level of training and capabilities of its armed forces.
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Meanwhile, Nicholas Drummond, KMW’s strategic adviser in the UK, told Defense News that the company’s production capacity in Germany still has many deficiencies.
“Norway is the first of several new orders expected for the newly built Leopard 2A7 tank,” he said.
“Before, at the height of the Cold War, KWM was able to produce 16 tanks a month, today production is much less than that, but still has the same floor area,” he continues.
(esn)
