Netherlands signs Leopard 2A8 MBT contract

The Netherlands is procuring at least 46 Leopard 2A8 MBTs in co-operation with Germany in 2028–31. (Dutch MoD)

The Netherlands signed a contract for the Leopard 2A8 main battle tank (MBT) on 14 May, the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) and KNDS announced later the same day. Dutch State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman signed the agreement for at least 46 MBTs, which are being acquired with Germany under a Common Procurement Agreement with Berlin.

Tuinman said, “With the current threat of a large-scale conflict, the tank is an indispensable tool… [The Leopard 2A8] is the best there is in the field of tanks. Inside, the crew and advanced systems and sensors form a unit with awesome striking power… The Leopard remains the king of the battlefield.”

The Dutch MoD expected the first Leopard 2A8 to be delivered in 2028 and the last tank in 2031, when the ministry expects the country's armed forces to “have a complete and highly innovative tank battalion”, numbering 500 soldiers and including an unmanned component.

With the procurement, the ministry said it was responding to NATO's call for heavier combat capabilities for land operations. It added that the Leopard 2A8 features improvements over the Leopard 2A6 that the Dutch MoD is leasing from Germany, including an improved 120 mm gun, better protection against improvised explosive devices, an active protection system (APS), superior sensors, and improved propulsion.

In addition to MBTs, the contract includes spare parts, special tools and equipment, factory training, and documentation, with an option until 2027 for six additional tanks. The Dutch MoD gave a budget range for the procurement of EUR1–2.5 billion (USD1.1–2.8 billion).