According to multiple reports citing government and industry sources, the German Ministry of Defence is evaluating proposals to purchase up to 2,500 GTK Boxer infantry fighting vehicles and as many as 1,000 Leopard 2 main battle tanks. If approved, the order would support the formation of seven new combat brigades that Berlin has committed to raising for NATO over the next decade.
The move comes amid growing concern within NATO over the risk of a wider European conflict, with several allied governments warning that the window for deterrence could close within five years. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who took office earlier this year, has pledged to make the Bundeswehr the strongest land force in Europe in response to rising tensions with Russia.
Both the Boxer and Leopard 2 platforms are produced domestically by a consortium of German defence firms, including Rheinmetall and KNDS Deutschland (formerly Krauss-Maffei Wegmann). The Leopard 2 has seen extensive service in Ukraine, where it has been tested in high-intensity combat since deliveries began in 2023.
The GTK Boxer, a modular 8×8 armoured vehicle, is also in service with multiple NATO members and has been selected for joint procurement by several European armies. Germany’s decision to significantly expand its fleet would likely sustain production lines into the 2030s and reinforce the country’s position as a central hub for NATO ground forces.
According to Bloomberg, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and senior Bundeswehr leaders are finalising the details of the potential deal. While not yet formally announced, the scale of the proposed procurement underscores Germany’s growing willingness to rearm at pace, reversing decades of underinvestment.
The initiative is part of a broader pan-European effort to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank and improve collective readiness. German forces are already leading NATO battlegroups in Lithuania and Slovakia, and the planned new brigades would allow Germany to take on a more permanent, high-readiness posture within the alliance.
At the same time, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has urged Washington to maintain support for Ukraine after the Pentagon paused some weapons transfers, citing concerns about US stockpile levels. European allies, including Germany, have expressed interest in backfilling shortfalls or accelerating their own deliveries to Kyiv.
If approved, the German procurement would represent one of the largest armoured vehicle acquisitions in Europe since the end of the Cold War.