An Leopard Tank of the Bundeswehr Panzerlehrbrigade 9 (9th Armoured Demonstration Brigade) during a presentation of capabilities by the unit on May 20, 2019 in Munster, Germany. (Photo by Morris MacMatzen/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — Lithuania has signed off on plans to procure 44 Leopard 2 tanks, in what the Lithuanian government is calling the single largest defense acquisition project in the country’s history.
Minister of National Defence Dovilė Šakalienė signed the documents on Monday while visiting with German defense minister Boris Pistorius in Berlin. While costs and delivery dates were not made public in the statement, Šakalienė told the Baltic News Service that the goal is to have the tanks by 2030.
“The agreement on Leopard acquisition is the largest contract Lithuania has ever signed. It is a pivotal stage of modernizing our armed forces and strengthening the regional security,” Šakalienė said in a statement, according to an online translation. “The new tanks will facilitate integration and interoperability of [the] Lithuanian and German militaries.”
The Leopard, produced by Franco-German conglomerate KNDS, has seen a resurgence of interest since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The company is pursuing new concepts for future Leopards, and won a large contract with Norway in 2023 — although that was scaled back months later. However, KMDS has seen strong competition in Europe from South Korean made vehicles.
Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Dovilė Šakalienė and german defense minister Boris Pistorius signed an agreement on Leopard tanks on Dec 16 2024. (Lithuanian government)
Lithuania, which shares borders with both Russian ally Belarus and the Russian territory of Kaliningrad, has increased its defense spending since the Ukraine conflict began. The previous government, which lost its election in October, promised to spend at least 3 percent GDP on defense starting in 2025, and Gitanas Nausėda, the long-standing Lithuanian president, was quoted by BNS as saying, “I hope we can reach 3.5 percent, and in the near future, even 4 percent.”
During her visit to Germany, Šakalienė also pledged that Lithuania remains committed to hosting a Germany brigade in Lithuania, near the Belarussian border. Lithuania is in the process of building out infrastructure for the 5,000 German soldiers and their families, something Šakalienė discussed with Pistorius, per the statement.
