Germany and Baltic NATO member Lithuania have already announced cooperation in building the German Leopard 2A8 main battle tank (MBT) in Lithuania. This week, the number of those tanks was increased: per the terms of a new memorandum of understanding (MOU), the NATO member will assemble and support more than 40 of the advanced armored vehicles.

This month, the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence (MND) announced that it signed the MOU with KNDS Deutschland, Rheinmetall Landsysteme, and Lithuania’s state-owned energy company EPSO-G. It declared that 41 Leopard 2A8s will be manufactured at a yet-to-be-built assembly plant in the Kaunas Free Economic Zone, located in the heart of the country.

Construction on the facility is set to begin in 2026, with deliveries of the tanks now scheduled to begin in 2028 and continue through 2030. Additional tanks could then be produced for other NATO members.

“The move represents one of the most substantial defense industrial investments in Lithuania to date and positions the country as a direct contributor to Europe’s heavy-armor manufacturing base,” the Defense and Security Monitor reported.

In addition to the initial production of the MBTs, the facility........

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