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Defence Minister Ivan Anu\u0161i\u0107 said: \u201cWe are equipping the Croatian Army with the most modern Leopard 2A8 tanks and thus continuing the process of modernising the Armed Forces and replacing eastern military technology with western.\u201d He added: \u201cAfter more than 15 years of neglect, the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Ministry of Defence have been systematically investing since 2016 in equipping and strengthening the capabilities of the Croatian Army so that in these challenging geopolitical circumstances we have an equipped and effective army that is the foundation of the security of our nation.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the process will continue with basic military training and further improvements in standards for Armed Forces personnel. He added: \u201cThe victorious Croatian Army must never again be neglected.\u201d Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid said: \u201cEquipment and modernisation has exponential progress that enables the Armed Forces to reach a significantly higher level of existing combat capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kundid said the new tanks will raise manoeuvre, firepower and crew protection to a much higher level. He added: \u201cThese tanks represent the most modern military technology related to armoured combat vehicles.\u201d Anu\u0161i\u0107 also noted that, alongside the Leopard 2A8 and the 18 Caesar MK2 howitzers, contracts for counter-drone systems and 420 Tatra heavy trucks will be signed by the end of the year, with the four major procurements worth about \u20ac2 billion including VAT.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0<\/p>\n The Leopard 2A8 purchase is part of a joint procurement programme led by Germany\u2019s Ministry of Defence for Norway, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Croatia. Under this framework, \u20ac1,140,387,021 will be financed from the EU SAFE instrument between 2026 and 2030, while \u20ac343,551,948.77 for warranty services, economic price adjustments and VAT will come from the national budget through 2033.<\/p>\n Deliveries of the tanks are scheduled from 2028 to 2030. Germany has transferred \u20ac144,800,000 to Croatia to offset the value of M-84 tanks and M-80 infantry fighting vehicles, with spare parts and ammunition, that Croatia provided to Ukraine in late 2024, reducing the overall cost of the Leopard procurement by that amount.<\/p>\n The Leopard 2A8 is the newest generation of the proven German main battle tank developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall. For Croatia, the shift from the M-84 to the Leopard 2A8 represents a technological leap of nearly four decades, moving from a 1980s Soviet-design concept to a modern system with digital management, active protection and NATO interoperability.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n![\"230421](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/230421_VIN_Content_Assets_30_Vincorion_Banner_TAS_1.jpg\")
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