Berlin: The Netherlands will purchase 46 Leopard 2 tanks from Germany, with the first batch expected to be delivered in 2027, the Dutch Defense Ministry said on Monday.
“The Dutch Defense Ministry will acquire 46 Leopard 2 battle tanks. The Netherlands is joining the corresponding initiative of the German government,” the statement read.
The first batch is scheduled to be delivered in 2027, while the remaining tanks will arrive in 2030, the ministry said.
The Dutch government allocated between 1-2.5 billion euros ($1.09-2.7 billion) for the purchase, according to the statement.
Forty-six tanks is the minimum for a combat-ready tank battalion with sufficient training and reserves. The Dutch authorities expect that by 2030, the country will have a full-fledged tank battalion, in which 500 soldiers will serve, the ministry added.
In September, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said that the country intended to re-establish its tank battalion 13 years after it was scrapped as part of cost-cutting efforts.
The last tank battalion in the Netherlands was disbanded in 2011. Since 2015, the country has leased 18 Leopard tanks from Germany.
