“In the coming weeks, tank manufacturers will come to discuss the details of assembling the tanks in Lithuania,” Šakalienė said. “This is a very positive thing because it means a significant part of the value will be created in Lithuania,” she added.
The country plans to acquire a total of 44 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks as part of its defence upgrade. While Šakalienė did not name specific companies, she indicated that some initial options include “German-Lithuanian joint ventures that could handle a substantial part of the work.”
She emphasised the importance of retaining value within Lithuania and meeting delivery deadlines. “Once the manufacturers are here, we’ll negotiate how the assembly could be implemented in a way that both ensures the timely delivery of the tanks and keeps as much of the added value as possible in Lithuania,” the minister stated.
According to the current agreement, the first tanks are expected to be delivered in 2029, with a full tank battalion established by 2034. However, Lithuania is working to expedite this timeline.
“We’re now hoping the first tanks could start arriving in 2028. The bulk would come in 2029, with the remainder delivered in 2030,” Šakalienė said.
The move to accelerate deliveries is part of Lithuania’s broader objective to build a fully operational military division by 2030. An advance payment is expected in the coming months to facilitate the faster supply of the tanks.
