Lithuania will locally assemble 41 new Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks by 2030. Lithuania will build an assembly plant in Kaunas for these tanks under a December 2025 agreement with Germany’s KNDS group and defense company Rheinmetall. The deal bundles procurement, local production, workforce training and maintenance into one framework and aims to shorten delivery timelines and keep Leopard tank support in country.
The Leopard 2A8 is the latest Leopard variant and features advanced digital systems and the Trophy active protection system against rockets and anti-tank guided missiles. It also has enhanced passive armor (especially on the turret top and hull) and improved mine protection to meet modern battlefield threats. The 2A8’s advanced guns and armor give it much greater firepower and survivability compared to earlier models.
Lithuania to assemble 41 Leopard 2A8 tanks by 2030. (KNDS Deutschland)
Production will be managed by Lithuania Defense Services (LDS), a joint venture of KNDS and Rheinmetall. Lithuania’s state energy firm EPSO-G will take a 25.1% stake in LDS, and LDS plans to invest roughly €50 million to build the Kaunas facility and hire about 100 people. The project has “major investment” status to speed implementation. Once operational, LDS will not only assemble the 2A8 tanks but also handle their long-term maintenance and repair in Lithuania.
The contract covers 44 tanks (a full tank battalion) and has a total purchase cost of around €950 million. Lithuania approved a €461 million advance payment in 2025 to kickstart the program. According to the revised schedule, the first locally assembled Leopard 2A8 is expected to roll off the Kaunas line in early 2028, with all 41 Lithuanian-assembled tanks delivered by 2030.
This will be Lithuania’s first-ever fleet of Western main battle tanks. Lithuania boosts regional deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank by anchoring production in Lithuania and buying the latest main battle tank. Assembling 41 Leopard 2A8 tanks by 2030 significantly upgrades Lithuania’s armored capability and reinforces Baltic defense cooperation within NATO. This follows the recent news that Croatia will procure a similar number of Leopard 2A8s. Lithuania and Croatia joins Sweden, the Czech Republic and Germany who has ordered 123 new Leopards.