Poland receives first Leopard 2A5 MBTs
Nicholas de Larrinaga, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
19 May 2014
Poland has received its first batch of Leopard 2A5 main battle tanks (MBTs) from ex-German Army stocks, the Polish General Command announced on 16 May.
A total of 11 Leopard 2A5s were delivered by rail to Zagan in west Poland, where their intended user, the 34th Armoured Cavalry Brigade, is based.
Poland ordered a total of 105 Leopard 2A5 MBTs, plus 14 of the earlier Leopard 2A4 variant and around 200 support and logistics vehicles, from ex-German stocks in November 2013 under a EUR187 million (USD253 million) contract with the German government. Poland already operates 124 Leopard 2A4 MBTs, plus a large inventory of Soviet-era T-72M and PT-91 Twardy MBTs. The new Leopards will replace the 34th Armoured Cavalry Brigade's two battalions of PT-91 tanks, while Poland's T-72M MBTs are planned to be phased out of service.
The Polish General Command stated that 49 of the new tanks should be delivered by mid-2014, with all vehicles being delivered by mid-2015.