Norway opens Leopard 2A8 production line, receives first two MBTs

The first two Leopard 2A8NO MBTs were delivered to the Norwegian Army on 30 April. (Forsvaret/Synne Nilsson)

KNDS announced in a press release on 4 May 2026 that it and Norwegian vehicle service and maintenance company RITEK have opened a new production facility for the LEOPARD 2A8NO main battle tank (MBT) in Levanger, Norway, with production scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2026. The German company also announced that the first two Leopard 2A8NO MBTs were delivered to the Norwegian Army on 30 April.

With a capacity to produce up to 36 tanks a year, the integrated production and testing facility in Levanger has test tracks such as a laser range, with steep slopes and an immersion pool. Energy is supplied from geothermal sources, according to KNDS.

Seventeen Leopard 2A8s are being produced by KNDS Deutschland at its site in Munich and 37 in Norway. Planning calls for the tanks to enter Norwegian Army service starting in 2027 after testing and verification and to be completed by 2028, replacing 30-year-old Leopard 2A4s.

The first Leopard 2A8 MBTs for Germany and Norway, along with the Panzerhaubitze (PzH) 2000 A4 self-propelled howitzer, were rolled out at KNDS Deutschland in Munich on 19 November 2025. At the rollout, Norwegian Army chief Major General Lars Lervik described the Leopard 2A8NO MBT as “the cornerstone in building up Brigade North to meet NATO's force goals for a mechanised infantry brigade”.

For more, please see:Feature: European armies procure and upgrade MBTs