On February 17, 2023, the Norwegian defense procurement agency Forsvarsmateriell signed a contract in Munich with the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) for the purchase of 54 new-made Leopard 2A7 main tanks for the Norwegian armed forces, with an option to purchase 18 more units. The contract value is 19.7 billion Norwegian kroner ($1.928 billion), the delivery of 54 ordered tanks will be carried out in 2026-2028.
German Leopard 2A7+ tank on trials in Norway at the Ostlandet training ground in Rennes, January 2022 (c) ForsvarsmateriellRecall that on February 3, the Norwegian government officially announced its decision to purchase 54 Leopard 2A7+ tanks of new production from KMW for the Norwegian armed forces, with an option to purchase 18 more units.
Thus, Leopard 2A7 became the winner in the Norwegian tank tender under the program "Project 9360 - Tank potential of the Army" (Prosjekt 9360 - Stridsvognkapasitet til Hæren), initiated in 2020. Two contenders took part in the competition - the Leopard 2A7+ tank presented by KMW and the K2NO tank presented by the Hyundai Rotem South Korean association (a variant of the K2 Black Panther serial tank). In January-February 2022, one sample of tanks of both competing types passed comparative tests in Norway. Although unofficial reports indicated that, according to the results of the tests, the South Korean K2 received some preference from the Norwegian military, and in addition, the South Korean side tempted the Norwegians with a broad transfer of technology, a significant share of industrial participation and the speed of deliveries, however, apparently, as a result, political considerations, arguments in favor of "compatibility" with NATO allies, as well as the tradition and experience of using Leopard 2 tanks turned out to be stronger, determining the choice of the German offer.
The new Leopard 2A7 tanks are to replace the 36 remaining Leopard 2A4NO tanks in the Norwegian army, which were originally purchased by Norway in the amount of 52 Leopard 2A4 units in 2001 from the presence of the Dutch Army, and are KMW-built vehicles from 1983-1985. In February 2023, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense announced its intention to transfer eight Leopard 2A4NO tanks to Ukraine in the near future.
Presumably, a variant of the Leopard 2A7+ tank for Norway will receive the designation Leopard 2A7NO. Apparently, it will be regularly equipped with the EuroTrophy active protection complex based on the Trophy complex of the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. The promotion and production of EuroTrophy KAZ is carried out by the EuroTrophy GmbH joint venture specially created for this purpose in Germany in 2022, organized by General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS), Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
German Leopard 2A7+ tank on tests in Norway at the Ostlandet training ground in Rennes, January 2022 (c) ForsvarsmateriellThe signing by the Norwegian defense procurement agency Forsvarsmateriell of a contract with the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) for the purchase of 54 new-made Leopard 2A7 main tanks for the Norwegian armed forces, with an option to purchase 18 more units.
Munich, 17.02.2023 (c) Forsvarsmateriell Representatives of the Norwegian Ministry of Defense and the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) against the background of the Leopard 2A7 tank equipped with the EuroTrophy active protection complex.
Munich, 17.02.2023 (c) Forsvarsmateriell
