Hungary acquires three Leopard 2 main battle tanks from Germany

Europe, News January 17, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

Hungarian Ministry of Defense announced that the 1st Armored Brigade of the country’s defense forces acquired three additional German Leopard 2A7 main battle tanks.

Defense Minister of Hungary Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said, “Hungary’s military development is progressing steadily with the continuous arrival of state-of-the-art equipment, as three additional Leopard 2A7 tanks arrived in Tata to serve the defense of the Hungarian people.”

Kristóf highlighted that “peace needs force!” and said Hungary’s defense capabilities are “progressing with steam power” and with the arrival of new Leopard 2A7 tanks the Hungarian forces would be able to protect the nation more effectively.

According to the Hungarian minister of defense, the transition from the Soviet military hardware to the more advanced technology is helped by the cooperation agreement between Hungary and Germany. Under the cooperation frame, the Hungarian Defense Forces would receive new military equipment from Germany as well as support services from German defense firms.

Last month, Hungary integrated the German-made Leopard 2A7HU tanks into its heavy infantry brigade based in Tata, as part of the National Defence and Armed Forces Development Program of the country.

The addition of the three Leopard 2A7HU tanks made the Hungarian Defence Forces’ fleet of advanced German-made tanks to eight.

Hungary's Leopard 2A7HU main battle tank — *^{Hungarian Defense Forces Leopard 2A7HU main battle tank. (Image Credit: Szalay-Bobrovniczky Kristóf/Facebook)}*

In December 2023, Hungary received the first batch of the advanced variant of Leopard tanks, that were tailored to the country’s specific needs. Earlier in 2020, Hungary received Leopard 2A4HU tanks from Germany which enabled the country’s armed forces to train on advanced German tank technology and enhance their combat readiness.

Hungarian Defense Forces have paced efforts to strengthen its military posture and in order to bolster Hungary’s defense capabilities, the European nation plans to acquire a total of 44 Leopard tanks by 2025.

Germany’s Leopard 2 is a third-generation main battle tank equipped with a 120mm L/44 or L/55 smoothbore gun as well as two machine guns. The Leopard 2A4 version of the tank is the most widespread variant that is equipped with an automated fire and explosion suppression system as well as an all-digital fire control system capable of handling new ammunition types.

The 2A7HU, the latest variant of the Leopard tank, is capable of withstanding modern anti-tank weaponry threats. The Leopard 2A7HU’s armor defense relies on a composite vertical armor plate and an attached self-limiting explosive reactive armor (SLERA) module. The tank is crewed by a team of four comprising a commander, a driver, a gunner, and a loader. The turret has space for three crew members, with the gunner positioned forward on the right side, the commander seated behind, and the loader on the left side of the turret.

*^{Hungarian Defense Forces Leopard 2A7HU main battle tank. (Image Credit: Szalay-Bobrovniczky Kristóf/Facebook)}*

Leopard 2 tank has a maximum speed of 70 km/h and its operational range on the road is about 340 kilometers (210 miles) while the cross-country range is about 220 kilometers (140 miles). The Leopard tank is mainly used by German armed forces and European militaries, as well as several non-European countries including Turkey, Indonesia, Singapore, Qatar, Chile, and Canada.