Norway Opens Leopard 2 A8NO Tank Factory and Delivers First Units to Army

In Norway, KNDS and RITEK have opened a factory to produce Leopard 2 A8NO tanks and have already delivered the first vehicles to the Norwegian Army.

The German company KNDS told Militarnyi about this.

Serial production in the municipality of Levanger is scheduled to begin in fall  2026.

The facility includes specialized testing tracks, including a laser testing range, steep slopes, and a plunge pool, and has a capacity of up to 36 tanks per year.

“Together with our partner RITEK, we quickly set up a production line to deliver Leopard 2A8NO tanks to the Norwegian Army. This not only fulfills a key customer contract but also highlights the importance of the Levanger site for expanding our production capacity,” said Florian Hoenwarter, CEO of KNDS Deutschland.

In just 18 months, Norway has built a modern, integrated facility for tank production and testing.

Sustainability is a priority: the facility uses energy from geothermal sources, ensuring environmentally friendly operations.

Overall, 37 out of 54 Leopard 2A8NO main battle tanks for the Norwegian Army will be produced here, which will also significantly strengthen European defense capabilities.

With the opening of the factory, the first two Leopard 2A8NO tanks have already been delivered to the Norwegian Army.

The main difference between this variant and the previous versions – Leopard 2A6 and 2A7 – is the installation of the Trophy active protection system, developed and manufactured by the Israeli company Rafael.

In 2023, the German Leopard 2 won the Norwegian tender, beating the South Korean K2 Black Panther.

Both competitors were delivered to Norway for evaluation trials. The competition was held to replace Leopard 2A4NO tanks in the Norwegian Armed Forces.