Norway's first Leopard 2 A8 NOR has been officially unveiled at the manufacturer KNDS's facility in Munich. The tank marks the beginning of Norway's largest single army investment to date.

According to a press release from the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (Forsvarsmateriell), the ceremony was held on 19 November at KNDS's facility in Munich. Among those present were Norway's State Secretary Marte Gerhardsen, Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, Forsvarsmateriell's Director General Gro Jære, and Army Chief Lars Lervik.

The new tanks replace the older Leopard 2 A4 and are described as among the most modern and digitalised of their kind. Norway has ordered a total of 54 Leopard 2 A8 NOR tanks, with a budget of 23.4 billion Norwegian kroner. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in April 2026 and are expected to be completed by 2028.

– The tanks provide the Army with an offensive capability combining firepower, mobility, and protection. They are the cornerstone in the development of Brigade Nord according to NATO's force goals, says Lars Lervik, Chief of the Army, in the Forsvarsmateriell press release.

According to a post on LinkedIn from KNDS, the rollout is a joint step in European land defence cooperation, which also includes Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic in coordinated procurements.

37 of the 54 Norwegian tanks will be assembled in Norway by the subcontractor Ritek in Trøndelag (central Norway). According to Gro Jære, this is an important development for the Norwegian defence industry, both in terms of employment and maintenance capability.

In January this year, Sweden ordered 44 new tanks of the Leopard 2 A8 type as well as the upgrade of the army's 110 existing Stridsvagn 122. The new 2 A8 tanks will be designated as Stridsvagn 123B by the Swedish Armed Forces, and the upgraded tanks will be designated as Stridsvagn 123A.