Roll-out of the KNDS LEOPARD 2A8 and PzH 2000 Systems
Munich, 19 November 2025 – In the presence of German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius, Norwegian State Secretary of Defence Marte Gerhardsen, and Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder, the rollout of the KNDS LEOPARD 2A8 and PzH 2000 systems for the German Armed Forces and the Norwegian Armed Forces took place today at the Munich site.
The CEO of KNDS Deutschland, Ralf Ketzel, stated: “ Today marks a milestone both for the rapid and modern equipping of the German Armed Forces and for the excellent and close cooperation within Europe in the field of land systems. The rollout demonstrates the trusting cooperation between Norway and Germany and simultaneously marks the start of a unified European procurement process, which Lithuania, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic have also joined. The KNDS team is proud to deliver here.”
Minister-President Dr. Markus Söder: “We are resolutely expanding our defenses. Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine is challenging security in Europe like never before. The freedom of all Europe is being defended there. We are providing decisive answers: only if we can defend ourselves will we not be attacked. This requires state-of-the- art technology such as tanks, aircraft, and drones. Today is therefore a good day for security. We are producing new equipment for the Bundeswehr and our partners around the world right here in Bavaria. NATO is not just a defense alliance, but an alliance of values. Bavaria is the number one defense tech location in Germany: a third of the German defense industry is based here, we are the only federal state with its own Bundeswehr law, and we are now also introducing a separate law for the defense industry to facilitate cooperation and permits.
We stand by the Bundeswehr and all its soldiers. They defend our freedom and democracy. Those who risk their backs for us must have their backs protected.”
The procurement of 22 PzH 2000 and 123 LEOPARD 2 A8 main battle tanks for the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) is intended to replace artillery systems and tanks delivered to Ukraine (contract signed in 2023). Furthermore, PzH 2000s will continue to be manufactured for Ukraine, where they have proven themselves in action as a superior self-propelled artillery system.
The majority of the 54 Norwegian tanks under contract will be manufactured by RITEK, KNDS’s industrial partner in Norway. The transfer of know-how required for the production of the LEOPARD 2 A8 in Norway by KNDS will increase overall production capacity and deepen European cooperation in this area.
All LEOPARD 2 A8 tanks for the Bundeswehr will be manufactured at the KNDS site in Munich.
The handover of the LEOPARD 2 A8 main battle tanks to the soldiers of both nations will begin in April 2026, as contractually agreed. The first PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers will be delivered to the German Armed Forces starting in May 2026.
Among the key features of the LEOPARD 2 A8 is the „Rafael“ active protection system, which provides thorough protection against modern, high-performance guided missiles. KNDS is working closely with Kongsberg on the comprehensive modernization of the electronic system, a project coordinated with Norway. This technology will facilitate and completely redesign data transfer within the main battle tank, as well as communication with other combat systems. In Europe, 18 nations already rely on the LEOPARD 2 main battle tank from KNDS Deutschland. Worldwide, the system has 23 user nations.
The PzH 2000 is the world’s most advanced tracked self-propelled howitzer. Its high mobility, short reaction times for issuing a fire command, and maximum efficiency make the PzH 2000 so superior. Besides Germany and Ukraine, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Lithuania and Qatar have also procured the PzH 2000.
File Photo courtesy Rafael
