Ten Czech Army Leopard 2A4 MBTs are undergoing training tests, including live firing, during exercise ‘Tasmanian Lizard'. (Czech 7th Mechanised Brigade)
The Czech Republic has ordered 14 more Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks (MBTs), the country's Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Rheinmetall have announced.
The EUR161 million (USD169 million) contract – signed on 3 December by Lubor Koudelka, director general of the Czech MoD's Armaments and Acquisition Division, and Rheinmetall Landsysteme CEO Björn Bernhard – covers the delivery of 14 refurbished Leopard 2A4s, mainly from Swiss stocks, and also includes an ammunition package. Deliveries are planned to be completed by the end of 2026.
Rheinmetall said in a press release on 11 December that the tanks will be converted to a configuration specific to the Czech Republic. The contract includes the installation of communication and information systems, maintenance equipment, and an initial supply of ammunition, according to the Czech MoD.
Battalion's worth
The ammunition and logistics package is designed to maintain high operational readiness of a fleet of 42 Leopard 2A4 MBTs and two Büffel 3 armoured recovery vehicles (ARVs), according to Rheinmetall, which noted that the procurement of the 14 MBTs would complete the Army of the Czech Republic (ACR) conversion of its 73rd Tank Battalion from Soviet to German MBTs. The battalion is part of a heavy brigade that the Czech Republic will commit to NATO. The Czech MoD considers tanks to be an essential part of the brigade.
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