Czech defense companies, including Excalibur Army, will be involved in the production of Leopard 2A8 tanks as part of a large European order, according to Czech publication Echo24. The Czechoslovak Group holding company, which includes several Czech companies, will be participating in the execution of the contract. The plan includes building a new turret assembly line for German tanks at the Excalibur Army plant in Sternberg. Other companies like Velká Bíteš and Ray Service may also be involved in the production of tank assemblies. These companies are already involved in the production of Lynx infantry fighting vehicles for Rheinmetall. Negotiations with developer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann are still ongoing, and if successful, Czech enterprises will contribute to the production of 77 tanks for the Czech armed forces and hundreds of other vehicles under the pan-European order. Production of the Leopard 2A8 will begin in 2026, with the first units expected to be delivered in 2027.
Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, the German company responsible for Leopard 2 tank production, is facing the challenge of meeting the high demand for the tanks in Europe after the Russian invasion. Currently, the company produces only three to four 2A7 Leopards per month as part of orders from Hungary and Qatar. However, they plan to increase production to 20 tanks per month. Involving the Czech industry as a contractor is seen as a solution to this problem and a way to strengthen Krauss-Maffei Wegmann’s production capabilities. The production of Leopard 2 tanks under the European contract is expected to continue until the end of the next decade, with the involvement of multiple countries including Germany, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Italy, and Spain.
ملخص الأخبار
- Czechoslovak Group holding company comprises several Czech companies involved in Leopard 2A8 tank production.
- Companies like Velká Bíteš and Ray Service may also participate in tank assembly production.
- Negotiations ongoing with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann for Czech enterprises to assist in producing 77 tanks for national defense.
- Leopard 2A8 production increase aims to meet high European demand after the Russian invasion, involving multiple countries.
