Lithuania’s State Defense Council approved the procurement of Leopard 2 main battle tanks in a meeting on Tuesday.
The Lithuanian Army picked the German tank over the American Abrams and the South Korean Black Panther following an evaluation last year.
The procurement will help the Lithuanian Army raise an armored battalion, which will also feature tank support elements such as tracked infantry fighting vehicles.
“We have received the information provided by Germany regarding the preliminary cost of the tank project and a final decision has been made to purchase the German Leopard 2 tanks,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said.
“It is planned to sign an agreement on the creation of tank battalions in the near future.”
Over 50 Tanks to Be Procured
A staggered purchase of the tanks is sought by the Lithuanian government to afford other defense acquisitions such as air defense systems, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense stated.
The number of Leopard 2A8 tanks to be procured has not been officially announced but is likely to be around 50.
Procurement of CV-90s
Meanwhile, the council proposed the acquisition of CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles to equip two battalions.
“By the decision of the VGT (State Defense Council), the Minister of National Defense was tasked with initiating procedures for the acquisition of CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles and establishing the requirement for cooperation with Lithuanian industry,” the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense statement read.
“After the Minister of National Defense received the proposals from the manufacturers, VGT instructed them to present them to the council members, who will make the final decision.”
