New German tank Bundeswehr gets "the best Leopard 2 ever built"
German Defense Minister Bois Pistorius at the presentation of the new Leopard 2 A8.
Image: Sven Hoppe/dpa
Roll-out of the Leopard 2A8 and Panzerhaubitze 2000.
Image: Sven Hoppe/dpa
According to the military, the Leopard 2 A8 is the first new main battle tank to be built for the Bundeswehr since 1992.
Image: Sven Hoppe/dpa
For the army, the main battle tank is "the best Leopard 2 ever built", said an army expert.
Image: Sven Hoppe/dpa
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
Image: Sven Hoppe/dpa
German Defense Minister Bois Pistorius at the presentation of the new Leopard 2 A8.
Image: Sven Hoppe/dpa
Roll-out of the Leopard 2A8 and Panzerhaubitze 2000.
Image: Sven Hoppe/dpa
According to the military, the Leopard 2 A8 is the first new main battle tank to be built for the Bundeswehr since 1992.
Image: Sven Hoppe/dpa
For the army, the main battle tank is "the best Leopard 2 ever built", said an army expert.
Image: Sven Hoppe/dpa
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
Image: Sven Hoppe/dpa
The German Army is waiting for the large weapon systems ordered from the special fund for the Bundeswehr. A new chapter is now being opened for the troops' tanks.
19.11.2025, 18:41
19.11.2025, 18:50
dpa
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Today, the German Bundeswehr is receiving the first of 123 Leopard 2 A8s, which are to be delivered by 2030.
- It is the first new build of the main battle tank since 1992 and, according to the German army, "the best Leopard 2 ever built".
- What makes the Leopard 2 A8 so special.
The German Bundeswehr receives the first new-generation main battle tank today: manufacturer KNDS presents the newly developed Leopard 2 A8 in Munich.
"The first main battle tanks are to be delivered to the troops in 2027, with the aim of having all 123 main battle tanks delivered to the troops by 2030," a spokesperson for the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) told the German Press Agency (dpa).
According to the military, the Leopard 2 A8 is the first new main battle tank to be built for the Bundeswehr since 1992. All previous versions of the tank were combat upgrades of the original Leopard 2 A4.
"The best Leopard 2 ever built"
For the army, the main battle tank is "the best Leopard 2 ever built", said an army expert. The tank meets the current expected threats on the battlefield and is digitized. The tank has improved roof protection and the active protection system from Israeli manufacturer Rafael.
This is a so-called hard-kill system: it destroys incoming enemy projectiles before they hit the armor. The system consists of four radar sensors and two launcher units attached to the tank's turret.
Together with the "brain" of the system, a high-performance computer, they form an invisible shield around the battle tank. In addition, the armor of the Leopard 2 A8 is reinforced compared to its predecessors. "Overall, it has the best protection available for German main battle tanks," said the army expert.
Expenditure of more than 3.15 billion Swiss francs
The roll-out in Munich is the first public presentation of the weapon system. The Bundeswehr is due to receive the first vehicles for trials in 2026 and will test their suitability intensively.
The first battalions will then receive the vehicles, the first being soldiers from the Lithuanian brigade stationed in the Baltic States to protect the eastern flank. 123 Leopard 2 A8s have been ordered for the Bundeswehr's armored forces, including 18 to replace the Leopard 2 A6s that have been handed over to Ukraine.
A total of more than 3.15 billion Swiss francs has been budgeted for the main battle tanks - largely from the special funds for the Bundeswehr. In addition to Germany, other nations are purchasing the Leopard 2 A8: Croatia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the Czech Republic.
