During an interview with the LRT television channel on October 1, 2024, Lithuanian Minister of National Defense, Laurynas Kasčiūnas, reaffirmed the government's intent to place a substantial order for modern Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks by the end of the year.
This announcement builds on the vision of former Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas, who aimed to establish Lithuania’s own tank unit, fully interoperable with the German Bundeswehr's armored divisions, Army Recognition reports.
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Lithuania's push to acquire modern tanks is significant in the context of potential big continental war with russia, especially considering that among the Baltic states, only Latvia possesses tanks — although only three T-55s used for training. This contrasts starkly with russia’s far superior armored capabilities.
However, upon closer analysis, the plan to create a robust Lithuanian armored force may be overly ambitious and perhaps unrealistic.
Minister Kasčiūnas aims to have up to 100 Leopard 2A8 tanks deployed by 2030. This estimate seems optimistic, and apparently, he refers solely to the Lithuanian army's inventory, since the Bundeswehr has ordered so far only 18 units of the prospective Leopard 2A8, with deliveries starting 2025–2026.
It appears that by projecting a purchase of 100 tanks, Lithuania is only outlining the scope of a potential contract for itself, while the final number could be considerably lower.
But even if the Lithuanian side significantly reduces its armor appetites during the negotiations with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (part of KNDS), the manufacturer, it's still unlikely that Lithuania will receive any until 2030, given the current pace of tank construction in Europe.
Furthermore, there is already a queue for these tanks, with several countries having placed orders, including Norway (54 Leopard 2A7s), Germany (18 Leopard 2A8s), and the Czech Republic (76 Leopard 2A8s).
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