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Norway has short-listed the South Korean K-2 Black Panther (pictured) and the German Leopard 2 main battle tanks as candidates for the renewal of its fleet of early version Leopard 2 tanks currently in service. (Norway MoD photo)
The government will buy new tanks and there are two suppliers that are relevant for the delivery of a tank to Norway.
The Storting decided in the Land Power Study (Recommendation 50 S (2017-2018)) that a procurement project for tanks should be initiated, which should be submitted for approval to the Storting in 2021. This was done and the work is ongoing in accordance with the established plan.
It was initially worked out based on nine different concepts. After thorough assessments, they were finally left with two concepts - (1) new tanks or (2) upgrading the current Leopard 2 to a standard that corresponds to brand new tanks, in combination with the acquisition of some brand-new tanks to increase their number.
“We will return to the Storting with proposals on the number of tanks, cost framework and a schedule. In the new Long-Term Plan, we have said that the new tanks will be in place in 2025,” says Minister of Defense Frank Bakke-Jensen.
In the Land Forces inquiries, it was determined that the upgrade planned through project 5050 would not provide sufficient protection against new ammunition that the opponents have, nor would it provide us with sufficient communication so that the tanks could act as part of a whole in the brigade system. This will be taken care of in the new project that is being worked on now.
“Through concept work has been carried out where market analyzes have also been carried out. The work has also undergone external quality assurance. The analyzes have revealed that there are two potential tank types that are relevant for Norway. It stands between German Leopard 2 or South Korean K2 Black Panther. Therefore, the pre-project phase will be continued based on these two candidates,” says the Minister of Defense.
The Ministry of Defense will now conduct a government dialogue with the German and South Korean authorities, among other things, to assess the possibilities for defense industrial cooperation and access to the market for Norwegian products for the supplier countries' respective defenses.
With the procurement of tanks that the government is planning and will return to the Storting in 2021, Norway will have a modern and improved capacity that will help strengthen its defense capability.
