The Polish Ministry of Defense intends to purchase 116 used Leopard 2 main battle tanks from Germany. This was announced by as Jane's Polish Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, reports. The contract for the supply of combat vehicles is expected to be signed in November of this year. According to preliminary estimates, the amount of the possible transaction will be 200 million euros.

According to the current plan, the Polish military intends to purchase 107 Leopard tanks in the 2A5 version, and the remaining nine in the 2A4 version. These vehicles will form two battalions of the 34th Armored Brigade, based in Zagan. This brigade is part of the 11th Armored Division. It is assumed that Poland will be supplied with tanks that were previously in service with the German ground forces. It is not specified when exactly the machines will be delivered to the customer.

Poland currently has 128 Leopard 2A4 tanks in service, 116 of which are part of the 10th Armored Brigade of the 11th Armored Division. The remaining 12 tanks are used for crew training. At the end of October 2013, the Polish Ministry of Defense announced a tender for the modernization of existing Leopard 2A4 tanks to the 2PL version. It is expected that the first modernized tanks will be returned to the military by the end of October 2014, and the entire program will end in 2019.

As part of the modernization program to the 2PL version, the machines will be upgraded to two standards: 2PL Standard and 2PL Extended. The details of these standards have not yet been disclosed. The Polish Ministry of Defense intends to spend about 480 million euros on the modernization of Leopard tanks.

Poland will buy 116 used Leopard tanks