The Czech Republic has approved a major defense acquisition, greenlighting the purchase of 44 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks from KNDS Deutschland. The deal, valued at 32.76 billion Czech koruna ($1.56 billion), is part of a broader defense framework agreement with Germany. Alongside this, Prague has allocated an additional 1.49 billion koruna ($71 million) for vehicle customization to meet national requirements.
The purchase package includes advanced self-defense and mine protection features, as well as integrated logistical support covering spare parts, documentation, training, and overall support management. To safeguard against fluctuations, an exchange rate reserve of 5 billion Czech koruna ($239 million) has been set aside.
Pending cabinet approval, the framework also provides the option to procure 14 more Leopard 2A8s in the future. The acquisition comes after the Czech Republic donated its entire fleet of 86 T-72M1 tanks to Ukraine as part of its support against Russia’s ongoing aggression.
Looking ahead, the country also plans to procure 19 Leopard 2A8 tanks in specialized configurations, including engineering, recovery, bridge-laying, and driver training variants. With this, the Czech military is expected to eventually field between 61 and 77 Leopard 2A8s across six variants, strengthening its armored capabilities for the long term.
