Spain plans to upgrade Leopard 2E tanks, but no budget yet

The Spanish Armed Forces want to start a comprehensive upgrade of 200 Leopard 2E tanks, which have been in service for more than 15 years. However, the military currently has neither a modernisation plan nor funds.

Here's What We Know

Currently, there are several possible options for improvement, including the installation of dynamic protection and remotely controlled combat modules.

The Spaniards hope that they will be able to get the funds to start upgrading the Leopard 2E fleet this year. However, it is not yet known how many resources are needed to implement the plans and whether the country's defence budget has allocated any space for this.

It is noted that the future programme may include the replacement of the 120-mm gun with a more modern one, the upgrade of all electronics, as well as additional training stages for the crew.

In addition, Spain wants to involve its own industry, which could cover all the needs for updating the Leopard 2E fleet. By the way, two companies - the German concern KMW and the Spanish GDELS - have previously performed similar work for the Spanish army.

It is also planned that the modernisation of tanks will be part of the army's overall improvement programme, which runs until 2035.

For those who don't know

The Spanish Leopard 2E is the equivalent of the German Leopard 2A6. This vehicle is a variant of the basic Leopard 2 and is designed to meet the requirements of the Spanish Army.

Source: Infodefensa