Lithuania fortifies defences with 44 new Leopard tanks
The Lithuanian authorities have signed an agreement to enhance the country's army with Leopard 2A8 tanks. Although these are among the most modern tanks available globally, Lithuania, which currently lacks any tanks, will purchase only 44 units. This is significantly fewer than the initial plans envisioned.
Defence Express noted that Lithuanian authorities initially aimed to acquire as many as 100 Leopard 2A8s by 2030. Later, these expectations were revised to establish one fully-fledged battalion following NATO standards, which amounts to 54 tanks. Ultimately, even this target cannot be met, as the agreement signed by the defence ministers of Lithuania and Germany includes only 44 units.
Lithuania is buying 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks
Reasons for the scaling back of Lithuania's plans have not been officially disclosed. Analysts at Defence Express suggest it is unlikely due to Lithuania's financial capabilities, as the country will allocate 3.03% of its GDP to defence in 2025 and will have an increased limit on defence credits. The issue may lie in the production capabilities of the German defence industry. The Leopard 2A8 tanks have also been ordered recently by several other European countries, with over 100 units to be delivered to the German army.
Baltic countries without tanks
Despite the reduced plans of acquiring only 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks, this acquisition will still be a significant milestone for Lithuania's armed forces. Currently, like Latvia and Estonia, Lithuania does not have any tanks. Only tanks from NATO allies, including Poland, are stationed there.
The Leopard 2A8 is the latest version of the widely utilized German tank. It is notable for its active defence system, Trophy, already equipped on other esteemed Western tanks, such as the American M1A2 Abrams. The Leopard 2A8 also includes a main armament of a 120 mm smoothbore gun and an engine with an impressive 1,600 horsepower, which is required due to the entire construction weighing approximately 70,000 kilograms.
