Croatia has approved a €1.945 billion defense modernization plan that includes the purchase of 44 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks from Germany, 18 Caesar 155 mm MK2 howitzers, 420 Tatra T-815-7 trucks, and a counter-drone defense system.
On October 30, 2025, Ivan Anušić, Defence Minister of Croatia, announced that the country’s Defence Committee has formally endorsed a €1.945 billion procurement package covering 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks, 18 Caesar Mk2 howitzers, 420 Tatra T-815-7 trucks, and a national counter-drone system. The announcement, which marks Croatia’s largest defense investment yet, allocates European SAFE funds to three projects, with the counter-drone component financed nationally. Framework contracts are expected before the end of 2025, and deliveries will continue through 2030.
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Powered by a 1,500 hp MTU MB 873 diesel engine, the Leopard 2A8 is equipped with the EuroTrophy APS, an upgraded 120 mm L55A1 smoothbore gun, new third-generation thermal imaging, and digital fire control systems. (Picture source: X/Ivan Anušić)
Croatia has formally approved the procurement of 44 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks from Germany as part of a €1.945 billion modernization package endorsed by the Croatian Parliament’s Defence Committee on October 30, 2025. The package, presented by Defence Minister Ivan Anušić, includes four key programs: 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks, 18 Caesar 155 mm MK2 self-propelled howitzers, 420 Tatra T-815-7 heavy trucks, and a counter-drone protection system integrating stationary and mobile components. Three of these projects will be financed through the European Union’s SAFE instrument, while the counter-drone system will be paid directly from the national defense budget. Framework agreements for all procurements are expected to be signed before the end of 2025, with final deliveries completed by 2030. The Leopard 2A8s are valued at approximately €1.3 billion, with deliveries between 2028 and 2030, and the program includes three simulators, spare parts, and full logistical support. Domestic companies such as Končar and Đuro Đaković will participate in assembly, maintenance, and component production, while additional Croatian manufacturers may join.
The Leopard 2A8 acquisition, valued at around €1.3 billion, stems from a bilateral arrangement signed in Berlin on October 28, 2024, between Croatian Defence Minister Ivan Anušić and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. Under that letter of intent, Croatia agreed to transfer 30 M-84A4 Sniper tanks and 30 M-80 infantry fighting vehicles, including spare parts and ammunition, to Ukraine. In exchange, Germany reduced the overall cost of Croatia’s Leopard 2A8 purchase and furnished in 2023 the Leopard 2A4HRV as an interim step to bridge capability gaps within the country’s armored battalions. The M-84A4 Sniper, a modernized Yugoslav variant of the Soviet T-72M1, features a 125 mm main gun, a 1,000-horsepower V46-TK engine, a DBR-84 ballistic computer, and an SCS-84 day/night sight. Despite these improvements, it lacks reactive or active protection systems, limiting survivability against modern anti-tank munitions. Croatia’s transfer of these tanks addresses Ukraine’s demand for mobile armored assets suited to rapid operations while enabling Zagreb to modernize its own armored forces with equipment fully compliant with NATO operational standards.
The Leopard 2A8 main battle tank, produced by KNDS (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall), represents the most recent evolution of the Leopard 2 family and was first displayed in production form at Eurosatory 2024. Based on the Leopard 2A7+, the 2A8 integrates improved passive armor combining steel, tungsten, composite fillers, and ceramics, in addition to the EuroTrophy active protection system derived from Israel’s Trophy APS. The tank mounts the Rheinmetall 120 mm L55A1 smoothbore gun, capable of firing high-velocity kinetic penetrators and programmable DM11 ammunition effective against multiple target types. Its 1,500-horsepower MTU MB 873 Ka-501 diesel engine provides a top speed of about 65 km/h and an operational range near 400 km. The design includes a reinforced torsion-bar suspension, a 500 mm ground clearance, and a total combat mass below 69 tons. The crew of four operates within an NBC-protected environment equipped with an integrated fire suppression system and a 20 kW auxiliary power unit.
The Leopard 2A8 also features a digital fire-control suite with third-generation thermal imaging, a laser rangefinder, and a ballistic computer supporting accurate engagement of moving targets. Its 360° situational awareness system, optional laser warning receiver, and remote weapon station enhance protection and operational flexibility. In terms of size, the Leopard 2A8 possesses a hull length of 8.05 m (11.17 m including the gun), a width of 4.00 m, and a turret height of 2.72 m (3.11 m with PERI sight). The tank’s passive armor and EuroTrophy APS jointly protect against shaped-charge and kinetic threats. The Leopard 2A8 variant incorporates improved crew ergonomics, upgraded cooling for the powerpack, and modular armor to facilitate maintenance. European procurement of this model is widespread, with Germany ordering up to 123 tanks, Norway 54, Italy approximately 300, and the Czech Republic up to 77, highlighting the Leopard’s role as a standard NATO armored vehicle for the 2020s and 2030s.
The Croatian modernization package also includes 18 Caesar 155 mm Mk2 self-propelled howitzers valued at about €320 million and scheduled for delivery by 2029 through a joint procurement led by France’s Direction Générale de l’Armement. The Caesar contract provides both the artillery systems and a support package containing reconnaissance sensors, fire control components, communication systems, and logistic vehicles. Croatia joins Estonia, Bulgaria, Portugal, and Slovenia in this procurement framework funded through EU SAFE, with contract signing expected before 2026. The third component, 420 Tatra T-815-7 all-terrain trucks valued at roughly €200 million, will be acquired jointly with the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Deliveries are planned from 2026 to 2030, with local assembly and maintenance handled by Đuro Đaković Specijalna Vozila under an agreement with Tatra Defence Systems. These vehicles, already operated by 21 NATO members, comply with Alliance standards for ballistic and mine protection, enhancing Croatia’s logistical and transport capabilities.
The counter-drone defense system contract, valued at €125 million excluding VAT, will run from 2026 to 2029 under a framework between the Ministry of Defence and Končar. It will consist of two stationary and two mobile systems for the protection of critical infrastructure and military sites. The first phase, due by mid-2027, will implement detection, jamming, and interception functions integrated into a cyber-resilient, AI-assisted command and control network. The second phase will introduce mobile units armed with 30 mm cannons networked into the same system. Končar will act as system integrator and produce components under technology transfer from Poland’s Advanced Protection Systems, which will partially relocate manufacturing of its SKYctrl system to Croatia. This partnership may involve additional Croatian firms, promoting industrial participation and reducing reliance on foreign suppliers. The agreement builds on prior cooperation discussed between Anušić and APS representatives during the Defence24Days conference in Poland in May 2025.
This four-part procurement plan is part of a broader modernization trajectory reflected in Croatia’s defense budgets and related acquisitions. The 2024 defense budget increased by 22.2 percent over 2023, and the 2025 budget rose a further 18.2 percent, funding upgrades across all services. Ongoing projects include the induction of Rafale multirole fighters, acquisition of Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial systems, modernization of 62 of 89 Bradley IFVs, Patria AMV upgrades, introduction of a Very Short-Range Air Defense System, establishment of a ROLE-2B field hospital, and procurement of M142 HIMARS rocket launchers. Additional programs strengthen the Coast Guard with new patrol vessels and mine countermeasure systems. These initiatives align with Croatia’s objective to exceed 2 percent of GDP in defense spending before 2027 and to reach 2.5 percent by 2027 and 3 percent by 2030.
By combining the Leopard 2A8, Caesar MK2, Tatra, and Končar-APS projects, Croatia aims to standardize its ground forces on interoperable NATO platforms while developing its domestic industrial base through technology transfer and local sustainment roles. The Defense Committee’s decision confirms that EU SAFE financing will underpin the tank, howitzer, and truck programs, with the anti-drone project funded nationally. Cooperation between KNDS and Đuro Đaković on Leopard maintenance and the earlier M-84A4 and M-80 transfers to Ukraine further integrate Croatia into European defense networks. Officials state that these acquisitions will complete the modernization of Croatia’s land component by 2030 and represent the country’s largest coordinated rearmament effort since independence, structured to increase operational readiness, industrial capacity, and alignment with NATO’s long-term capability goals.