Sweden To Obtain New Leopard 2A8s And Modernize Existing MBTs
Last Thursday the Swedish Ministry of Defense announced its bold plans to purchase 44 new Leopard 2A8 Main Battle Tanks alongside renovation of an additional 66 Stridsvagn 122. Sweden is the newest member of NATO, with the country joining the Treaty in late 2024. Its role in expanding the alliance’s control over the Baltic Sea is crucial for local security. However, the state faces new challenges in regard to the necessity of expanding its armed forces.
Sweden’s Minister of DefensePål Jonson explained Sweden’s situation, “the deteriorating security situation means that we are now carrying out the largest rearmament of the defense since the 1950s,” adding that, “this investment in tanks and combat vehicles is an important part of it”.
The 22 billion SEK ($1.9 billion) investment in armored forces will enable the Swedish Armed Forces to obtain 154 new and modernized Leopard 2 MBTs including a battalion worth of Leopard 2A8s by 2031. The aforementioned renovation of the Swedish Armed Forces’ existing Leopard 2 tanks means that they will be upgraded to the same technical level as the newly manufactured tanks. This includes, for example, new guns for increased effectiveness, better protection for the crew, increased digitalization, and a longer service life for the tanks. This procurement of the Leopard 2A8 serves the purpose of further unification of the Swedish tank fleet. It is possible that further orders will be placed to replace aging vehicles which will not undergo refurbishment.
The government has also authorized the refitting of existing CV90 infanty fighting vehicles. This renovation is to be completed by 2030 and is estimated to cost just over SEK 5 billion. CV90 has an accumulated need for maintenance and updating, which has been reinforced by the deteriorating security situation.