In addition to the donation of 15 Leopard 2A4 tanks, which the Army of the Czech Republic will take over by the end of this year, the Czech government has entrusted the Minister of Defense with negotiating the possible purchase of 77 Leopard 2A8 tanks. The German side has already agreed for the Czech Republic to join its own framework agreement for the purchase of Leopard 2A8 tanks. The Czech Republic is considering the purchase of up to 77 of these tanks. The price will also depend on how many other countries eventually join the agreement.
The German minister described this plan as “an important and good step”. “We are very pleased because it increases the ability to defend each other if needed. The Czech Republic has long been the most important security and defense partner in the Central European region,” said Boris Pistorius at a joint press conference at the Czech Ministry of Defense.
The Czech Republic would thus join Germany, which intends to replace the Leopard 2A6 main battle tank with a new version of the 2A8. The German Ministry of Defense plans to act as the so-called central contracting authority in the project, which will mediate communication with the manufacturer, the KMW company, for all involved states – including the Czech Republic. According to Berlin, this procedure should significantly simplify the administration and speed up the process.