The Dutch Army is going to acquire 46 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks ~ the Netherlands is joining an initiative of the German government.
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Press Release, The Hague, 14 October 2024: [auto-translated] Defence is going to acquire 46 Leopard 2A8 battle tanks. The Netherlands is joining an initiative of the German government. The intention is for the first modern battle tanks to enter service in 2027 and the last in 2030. From that moment on, the armed forces will once again have a full tank battalion, with a complement of 500 soldiers. State Secretary Gijs Tuinman reported this today in a letter to the House of Representatives.
The minister announced in September in the Defence Note 2024 that the Army will get tanks again. The budget for this is €1 to 2.5 billion. With this purchase, Defence is responding to NATO’s call for heavier combat capabilities for land operations.
Tuinman: “Tanks are essential for the combat power of the armed forces. They have heavy armament and offer protection against enemy fire. With the reintroduction of the battle tank, the Netherlands is strengthening the combat power of the armed forces. In doing so, we are also fulfilling what NATO requires of the Netherlands.”
International cooperation: Defence chooses the German-made Leopard 2A8 based on operational considerations. The weapon system also offers advantages for interoperability and international cooperation. This modern battle tank meets all the operational requirements and can also be acquired quickly through the German demand bundling initiative.
With the establishment of the new battalion, there is room for about 500 soldiers. These must be largely recruited. Defence is investigating together with Germany the possibility of placing the battalion in the German Bergen-Hohne . Here is the NATO Training Area with sufficient training and shooting ranges to be able to train realistically with a tank battalion. The training and shooting ranges at the Dutch barracks do not offer sufficient space for this.
Unmanned systems: Defence wants to fill part of its combat capabilities with unmanned systems. This applies not only to land operations, but also to those in the air and on the water. As a result, the initial requirement is not the usual 52 battle tanks, but 46 units. This number is the minimum required for an operational tank battalion with sufficient training capacity and reserve.
For the remaining 6 battle tanks, Defence wants to include option space in the contract. The organisation will decide by 2027 at the latest whether this option will be exercised. This depends on the technological feasibility and the time frame with which the defence industry can develop and produce operationally deployable unmanned systems. In this way, Defence can be sure that there will be a fully-fledged tank battalion in 2030.
The project further provides for the necessary spare parts, maintenance contract, special tools and equipment, factory training and documentation.
Since 2011
With the acquisition of the 46 Leopard tanks, the armed forces will have their own tank capacity again in a few years. In 2011, Defence said goodbye to the tanks due to budget cuts. Thanks to German-Dutch military cooperation, Dutch soldiers still use tanks. This is done via 414 Tank Battalion. In this way, Defence has retained knowledge about operating with tanks.
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