Norway Starts Building Leopard 2A8 Tanks at Home: How Many, Where and When

Norway has started building its own Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks: production officially began on 15 October 2026 at a new Ritek facility in Levanger, where 37 of the army’s 54 Leopard 2 A8 NOR tanks will be assembled, integrated and tested. German prime contractor KNDS builds the other 17 in Germany. The line, set up in 18 months, can turn out up to 36 tanks a year, according to KNDS.

Last updated: 17 October 2026

Key facts

Ordered: 54 Leopard 2 A8 NOR, plus an option for 18 more (Feb 2023)
Built in Norway: 37, by Ritek in Levanger
Built in Germany: 17, by KNDS
Delivered so far: first 2 handed over on 30 April 2026 (KNDS)
Line capacity: up to 36 tanks a year
Cost frame: NOK 23.4 billion, price-adjusted, incl. spares, logistics and simulators (Forsvaret)

What started in Levanger?

KNDS said in a 15 October press release that “all preparations have now been completed” and that production at Levanger had officially begun. “Today, we are celebrating much more than the start of production,” said Markus Helm, chief financial officer of KNDS Deutschland, describing the site as a lasting German-Norwegian industrial partnership.

Ritek, a Trøndelag engineering firm, handles assembly, system integration and final testing. Nordic Defence Watch, citing the regional paper Trønder-Avisa and broadcaster NRK, reported that the company has invested more than NOK 100 million, passed a KNDS production readiness review in early September, hired 30 people in the past year and expects to reach 100 employees within six months. Ritek’s contract with KNDS, signed in June 2024, is worth up to NOK 500 million. Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik attended the start. “If you are going to hold ground, take ground and defend yourself, you need armour like this,” he said.

Leopard 2 A8 NOR tanks at the KNDS roll-out ceremony — Leopard 2 A8 NOR tanks at the November 2025 roll-out ceremony at KNDS in Germany. Photo: Synne Nilsson / Forsvaret (Norwegian Armed Forces).

How many Leopard 2A8s has Norway ordered, and when do they arrive?

The government chose the Leopard 2 on 3 February 2023, buying 54 tanks with an option on 18 more, the Prime Minister’s office said. The tanks replace Leopard 2A4s that Norway bought second-hand in 2001. At the time the government set a cost limit of NOK 19.7 billion and planned to phase the tanks in from 2026 through 2031.

The schedule has since tightened. In November 2025 the armed forces (Forsvaret) put the programme at a price-adjusted NOK 23.4 billion, including spares, logistics, simulators and training systems, and said all 54 tanks should be in Norway by 2028, with the army phasing them in from 2027. KNDS says the first two were handed over on 30 April 2026. Keep the three numbers apart: 54 ordered, 2 delivered as of KNDS’s last public statement, and none yet declared operational in Brigade North.

Date	Milestone	Source
3 Feb 2023	Government selects Leopard 2, orders 54 (+18 option)	Norwegian Government
Jun 2024	Ritek signs contract with KNDS worth up to NOK 500m	Nordic Defence Watch
Nov 2025	First Leopard 2 A8 NOR rolled out at KNDS	Forsvaret
29/30 Apr 2026	Levanger facility opens; first 2 tanks delivered	KNDS
15 Oct 2026	Serial production starts in Levanger	KNDS
2027	Army begins phasing tanks in	Forsvaret
2028	All 54 tanks planned to be in place	Forsvaret

What is the Leopard 2A8?

The 2A8 is the newest production version of the German Leopard 2, armed with a 120 mm smoothbore gun. Forsvaret says the Norwegian variant adds an active protection system, better armour, more firepower and new sensors, and can ford rivers with a snorkel. Like other Leopard 2s it uses a Renk transmission; see our Renk Group profile and the recent Renk-KNDS transmission order. Our Leopard 2 guide covers the variants and operators in full.

Chief of the Army Lars Lervik called the tanks the cornerstone of Brigade North, which Norway is building to meet NATO’s target for a heavy mechanised infantry brigade.

Why does local assembly matter?

Norway’s government listed industrial cooperation as one of the reasons for picking the German tank, alongside logistics, life-cycle support and having the same tank as its Nordic neighbours. Forsvaret adds a practical benefit: building most of the fleet at home gives Norway the skills to repair and maintain the tanks itself in a crisis. For KNDS, Levanger is extra capacity at a time when Leopard 2A8 orders are spread across several European armies.

How does this compare with Türkiye’s tank programme?

Türkiye took a different route to the same goal of home-built armour. Instead of assembling a foreign design, it developed the ALTAY, built by BMC under a contract managed by the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB). According to Envanter Medya, the first two serial ALTAY tanks were delivered to the Turkish Land Forces on 28 October 2025, with 250 planned in total. The trade-off is time and engines: the first 85 tanks (T1) use a South Korean-sourced powerpack, and the domestic BATU engine is planned for the later T2 batch. Türkiye also still operates Leopard 2A4s; see how many tanks Turkey has and our ALTAY guide.

Frequently asked questions

How many Leopard 2A8 tanks is Norway buying?

54, with an option for 18 more, under a decision announced on 3 February 2023.

Where are Norway’s Leopard 2A8s built?

37 are assembled, integrated and tested by Ritek in Levanger, Norway; the other 17 are built by KNDS in Germany.

When did Leopard 2A8 production start in Norway?

On 15 October 2026, according to KNDS.

How much do Norway’s Leopard 2A8s cost?

Forsvaret gives a price-adjusted cost frame of NOK 23.4 billion for the programme, including spares, logistics and training systems. That total should not be divided into a per-tank price.