{"id":64394,"date":"2023-05-24T20:06:23","date_gmt":"2023-05-24T20:06:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2023\/05\/24\/panzer-bonanza-czech-republic-joins-berlins-leopard-upgrade-push\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:55:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:55:05","slug":"panzer-bonanza-czech-republic-joins-berlins-leopard-upgrade-push","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2023\/05\/24\/panzer-bonanza-czech-republic-joins-berlins-leopard-upgrade-push\/","title":{"rendered":"Panzer bonanza: Czech Republic joins Berlin\u2019s Leopard upgrade push"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 The Czech Ministry of Defence plans to join an emerging push by Germany to upgrade its fleet of Leopard 2 main battle tanks, eying an order of 70 copies of<b> <\/b>the vehicle\u2019s newest A8 configuration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leaders in Prague have designated Minister of Defense Jana \u010cernochov\u00e1 the point person to negotiate a Czech buy of the weapons, made by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall and known as Kampfpanzer in German, the defense ministry said in a May 24 statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The idea is to piggy-back on a German purchase that will initially cover 18 Leopard 2A8 tanks, for $565 million, to replace Berlin\u2019s donations to Ukraine, but that could grow over time into a multibillion-euro deal for up to 123 copies, German media <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tagesspiegel.de\/politik\/neue-leoparden-fur-die-bundeswehr-modernste-waffen-in-kleiner-zahl-9863165.html\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The envisioned Czech investment \u201cpaves the way for the Army of the Czech Republic to acquire a top-of-the-line ground platform, which is also in use in a number of European armies and is compatible with other NATO armies,\u201d reads a ministry statement. \u201cIn addition, from the joint procedure with Germany, the Czech side promises a significant price reduction, shorter deliveries and the provision of adequate logistical support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius lauded the prospective Czech participation as a big step towards Chancellor Olaf Scholz\u2019s fabled \u201cZeitenwende\u201d objective, a wholesale boost of German and European defense capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other nations are invited to join the emerging program to achieve lower prices, higher production rates \u2014 vendors will almost certainly have to add capacity \u2014 and increased commonality on everything from training to sustainment, Pistorius said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Czech defense officials expect their new tanks by the end of the decade at a cost of \u201ctens of billions of crowns,\u201d said Col. J\u00e1n Kerd\u00edk, director of the MOD\u2019s Land Forces Development Department. Ten billion Czech krona equals roughly $450 million.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As Germany eyes production of the newest Leopard 2A8 configuration, officials in Berlin hope European neighbors will join the 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