Norway has opted for the ‘Leopard 2A7’ tank from the Bundeswehr (Germany’s armed forces), the same type of military vehicle that Olaf Scholz’s government sent to Ukraine. Norway’s defence minister, Bjørn Arild Gram, revealed that he had chosen 54 tanks manufactured by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann: the armoured vehicles would arrive in 2026, with the possibility of procuring 18 more. Norway‘s programme for the new tanks is worth EUR 18 billion. Oslo has announced its intention to donate some of its old Leopard 2A4s to Ukraine. For Norway, the new tanks will be crucial to maintain the level of training and the
defence capabilities of the local armed forces. A year ago, Norway began a
four-week Arctic test to evaluate the Leopard 2A7: the exercises included extensive mobility and fire tests in difficult weather conditions and snowy terrain. The Ministry of Defence had explained that officials wanted assurance that the tanks would be able to survive against armoured vehicles of Russian troops.
