The agreements mark the start of a strategic programme to modernise the armoured and mechanised forces of the Croatian Army. The full value of the 44 tanks, together with simulators and warranty services, is €1,483,938,969.77.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said: “Croatia has, like a number of EU member states, decided to use the initiative, that is, the EU financial instrument SAFE. Of the 1.7 billion euros approved for Croatia – part of these funds we will use to finance the procurement of 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks.” He continued: “Croatia is gradually abandoning eastern military technology and we are switching to western, and the partnership with Germany, through this and other examples, is one of the ways of our continuous strengthening of cooperation in the field of defence.”
Defence Minister Ivan Anušić said: “We are equipping the Croatian Army with the most modern Leopard 2A8 tanks and thus continuing the process of modernising the Armed Forces and replacing eastern military technology with western.” He added: “After more than 15 years of neglect, the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Ministry of Defence have been systematically investing since 2016 in equipping and strengthening the capabilities of the Croatian Army so that in these challenging geopolitical circumstances we have an equipped and effective army that is the foundation of the security of our nation.”
He said the process will continue with basic military training and further improvements in standards for Armed Forces personnel. He added: “The victorious Croatian Army must never again be neglected.” Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid said: “Equipment and modernisation has exponential progress that enables the Armed Forces to reach a significantly higher level of existing combat capabilities.”
Kundid said the new tanks will raise manoeuvre, firepower and crew protection to a much higher level. He added: “These tanks represent the most modern military technology related to armoured combat vehicles.” Anušić also noted that, alongside the Leopard 2A8 and the 18 Caesar MK2 howitzers, contracts for counter-drone systems and 420 Tatra heavy trucks will be signed by the end of the year, with the four major procurements worth about €2 billion including VAT.
The Leopard 2A8 purchase is part of a joint procurement programme led by Germany’s Ministry of Defence for Norway, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Croatia. Under this framework, €1,140,387,021 will be financed from the EU SAFE instrument between 2026 and 2030, while €343,551,948.77 for warranty services, economic price adjustments and VAT will come from the national budget through 2033.
Deliveries of the tanks are scheduled from 2028 to 2030. Germany has transferred €144,800,000 to Croatia to offset the value of M-84 tanks and M-80 infantry fighting vehicles, with spare parts and ammunition, that Croatia provided to Ukraine in late 2024, reducing the overall cost of the Leopard procurement by that amount.
The Leopard 2A8 is the newest generation of the proven German main battle tank developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall. For Croatia, the shift from the M-84 to the Leopard 2A8 represents a technological leap of nearly four decades, moving from a 1980s Soviet-design concept to a modern system with digital management, active protection and NATO interoperability.
Unlike earlier variants, the Leopard 2A8 includes the Trophy active protection system as standard and features reinforced armour protection. It also integrates advanced sensors, command-and-control and communications systems, with extensive digitalisation across all major subsystems from power distribution to fire control and crew interfaces.
Source: Croatian Ministry of Defence.
