Lithuania has signed an industrial cooperation agreement with KNDS, Rheinmetall and EPSO-G to establish local assembly and maintenance facilities for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks, with the first tanks assembled domestically from 2028. The Baltic country joined the Leopard 2 Common Procurement Agreement in 2024 and signed a follow-on contract later that year for 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks.
Croatia will purchase 44 German-made Leopard 2A8 tanks, Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced after talks with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković in Berlin. KNDS Deutschland recently said it had received orders for 350 Leopard 2A8 tanks, including 123 from the German Bundeswehr.
Franco-German manufacturer KNDS has secured 350 orders from five countries for the newest Leopard 2A8 main battle tank, with Germany alone committing to 123 units and planning to expand its purchase. The upgraded A8 variant features enhanced protection systems and represents several billion euros in confirmed contracts, with production expected to run for years.
