Netherlands agrees to buy at least 46 Leopard 2A8 tanks from KNDS

The Dutch government said on Wednesday it had signed an agreement to buy at least 46 Leopard 2A8 tanks from German-French arms maker KNDS as the Netherlands builds a tank unit for the first time in over a decade, Reuters reported.

The tanks will be delivered between 2028 and 2031 and form part of a push by the Dutch to increase military spending in order to comply with the NATO target of spending at least 2% of GDP on defence.

The new tank battalion, which could be expanded with another six tanks, will be stationed in Germany and include around 500 soldiers, the government said in a statement.