Germany Army, commonly known as Bundeswehr, awarded a $336 million contract to European main battle tank maker Krauss-Maffei Wegman (KMW) for upgrades to the Leopard 2.
According to a news release put out on 4 April, KMW has been awarded a contract to modernize 101 Leopard 2
A6 main battle tanks.
“The contract in question was signed on 28 March 2019 at the German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment (BAAINBw), It is worth more than €300 million. Among other things, the operating concept, targeting system and fire control computer as well as the chassis are being upgraded to the level of the Leopard 2 A7V,” said in news release.
Also, KMW added that by this step, the diversity of different models of main battle tanks being operated in the Bundeswehr will be reduced further and the logistical footprint of the systems will be simplified. Moreover, tank crews will no longer need additional training on the different Leopard variants to be able to operate the combat systems.
All 101 upgraded main battle tanks will have been delivered by 2026.
According to media reports in recent weeks, the Leopard 2A7V is the latest version of German-made main battle tank (MBT) in the Leopard 2 family. The new version is developed by German weapons maker Rheinmetall and KMW.
Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, a member of the German-French defense technology group KNDS, leads the European market for highly protected wheeled and tracked vehicles.