Lithuania approves purchase of about 50 Leopard 2s for future battalion

At a meeting on Tuesday, 22 October, the Lithuanian National Defence Council approved the purchase of Leopard 2 main battle tanks for the future battalion.

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The Lithuanian army preferred the German tank to the US Abrams and South Korean Black Panther after an evaluation last year.

The purchase will help the Lithuanian army create an armoured battalion that will also have tank support equipment, such as tracked infantry fighting vehicles.

"We have received the information provided by Germany on the preliminary cost of the tank project, and the final decision to purchase German Leopard 2 tanks has been made. Therefore, it is planned to sign an agreement on the creation of tank battalions in the near future," said Lithuanian Defence Minister Laurinas Kasciunas.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the Lithuanian government plans to purchase tanks in stages to afford other defence purchases, such as air defence systems. By the way, the number of Leopard 2A8 tanks to be purchased has not yet been officially announced, but it is likely to be around 50 units.

Source: The Defence Post