Croatia signed a €1.3 billion contract on Wednesday to purchase 44 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks from Germany, the government said, marking one of the country’s largest defence procurements to date.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ivan Anušić signed the order confirmation in Berlin during a visit by a Croatian delegation led by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
Anušić also signed a supplementary agreement at the Croatian Embassy with KNDS Deutschland for the delivery of simulators, equipment and extended warranty services for the tanks.
Under the package, Croatia will acquire 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks along with three simulators, spare parts and logistics support. Zagreb will pay €144.8 million less than the standard price, reflecting compensation from the German Defence Ministry for Croatian tanks, armoured vehicles and ammunition transferred to Ukraine in late 2024.
The tanks are expected to be delivered between 2028 and 2030. The total value of the procurement is €1.5 billion, Croatian outlet Tportal reported. Of that, €1.1 billion will be financed through the EU SAFE loan between 2026 and 2030. A further €343.6 million — covering extended warranty services, cost adjustments and VAT — will be funded from the Defence Ministry budget between 2026 and 2033.