Germany on the way to the "strongest army": Bundeswehr plans large-scale purchase of Leopard 2 tanks and GTK Boxer armored vehicles

In the context of Russia's war in Ukraine and the threat of Russian aggression spreading, Germany's military leadership is discussing the purchase of a thousand new tanks. Supplying the troops with appropriate equipment as quickly as possible is obviously not easy – tank building is a complex industry – so the process is being considered in a project for future years. This is reported by UNN with reference to Reuters, Münchner Merkur, Bloomberg, and Bild.

Details

In Germany, the country's leadership is discussing the purchase of new tanks, despite the fact that drones are actively used by armies in Russia's current war in Ukraine.

According to Bild and Reuters, the purchase involves a total amount of 25 billion euros. According to unconfirmed media reports, this will cover up to 1,000 new Leopard 2 tanks and up to 2,500 GTK Boxer wheeled armored vehicles.

By 2029, it is planned to spend up to 649 billion euros on defense to achieve NATO's new five percent target, writes Münchner Merkur.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) reportedly wants to order hundreds of GTK Boxer wheeled armored vehicles for the Bundeswehr.

Bloomberg also reported that Germany is considering purchasing 1,000 Leopard 2 main battle tanks over the next ten years.

This involves the formation of six brigades as part of commitments to NATO.

Context

According to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's first government statement:

The Bundeswehr must be transformed into Europe's strongest conventional army

To achieve this goal and to achieve the promised NATO planning goals, the German government, according to Merz, "will provide all financial resources."

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Reference

A Bundeswehr armored brigade usually consists of one main battle tank battalion, comprising about 90 Leopard 2 tanks, and two infantry fighting vehicle battalions, comprising about 180 infantry fighting vehicles, such as the Puma or Marder.

By 2030, Germany will need more than 600 new Leopard 2 tanks for these seven brigades alone. They will be produced by the Munich-based defense company KNDS Deutschland - a German tank manufacturer based northwest of Munich.

According to media reports, the Düsseldorf-based company Rheinmetall, in turn, produces another type of tank. Significant investments will be directed precisely to this type of equipment.

The production of as many as 2,500 new GTK Boxer wheeled armored vehicles is planned. These are robust and highly mobile wheeled armored vehicles for transporting infantry in combat.

Recall

UNN reported that in May, Germany confirmed the provision of a new package of military aid to Ukraine, which includes IRIS-T air defense missiles, ammunition for Leopard 2, drones, and armored vehicles.