Leopard 2A8 and K2PL Black Panther Dropped Out of the Competition for New Tanks for Slovakia

Slovakia has excluded the German Leopard 2A8 and the Korean-Polish K2PL Black Panther from the tender to supply tanks.

At a press conference, Defense Minister Robert Kalinjac named two options currently being considered for the renewal of the armored fleet: the CV90120 medium tank from BAE Systems Hägglunds and a Turkish medium tank of the same category, FUTURE ARMY reports.

The models remaining in the competition have a significant price advantage, 40-50% lower compared to the main battle tanks.

According to the Minister, savings on maintenance and the possibility of localizing production in Slovakia are key factors in the choice.

Kalinjac emphasized that the final decision on the purchase has not yet been made. Both vehicles are still under development, and the Minister estimates that they could be put into service in three to four years.

For the Armed Forces of Slovakia, the CV90120 is compatible with the CV9035 combat vehicles, which are soon to be put into service, thereby reducing the cost of training crews and spare parts.

The initial batch of ten vehicles is to be assembled at BAE Systems Hägglunds in Sweden, after which production will be gradually transferred to Slovakian facilities.

The combat modules are being built directly at Slovak plants; parts have already been shipped to Sweden for integration into the chassis.

The Ministry is also considering a Turkish alternative, including several light and medium vehicles equipped with 105-mm guns, although their firepower compared to heavy tanks is being considered separately.

An example of such a platform is the Kaplan MT, which Turkey produces in a joint project with Indonesia and is equipped with a 105-mm cannon.

“The key argument is primarily the price, which is 40-50% lower than that of heavy tanks. They also take into account the best practices from Ukraine: mobility becomes an advantage, provided that adequate firepower is maintained,” Martin Martis, editor-in-chief of Future Army, shared with Militarnyi.

Another strong argument is the participation of the Slovak defense industry in the production chain: in the case of the CV90120, this is ensured by knowledge and components from the CV90. Additionally, Turkish suppliers are allegedly offering to establish local production in Slovakia.