Poland awarded Rheinmetall a $242 million contract to upgrade and modernize 128 Leopard 2 A4 main battle tanks, the company said Monday.
Rheinmetall is set to serve as a strategic partner to work with local Polish companies Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), a government-established holding company to unite state-owned defense companies, and ZM Bumar-Łabędy S.A. The modernization effort includes electronics and weapons technology, Rheinmetall said.
The companies are set to upgrade the Leopard 2 A4 tanks first purchased in 2002 from surplus Bundeswehr stocks to the Leopard 2 PL standard, which corresponds to the German Leopard 2 A5 and A6 varieties.
“Rheinmetall’s willingness to share technology and operate in tandem with local industry proved decisive in prompting the Polish government to select Rheinmetall as its strategic partner. For Poland, the contract will mean the creation of highly skilled jobs as well as obtaining valuable defense technology know-how,” the company said in a statement.
The company highlighted late last year the Polish armed forces’ Armament Inspectorate awarded PGZ and ZM Bumar-Łabędy S.A. as general contractor and integrator, respectively, for a contract to upgrade combat effectiveness of the Leopard 2 A4 tanks. At the time, Rheinmetall helped prepare the upgrade package as a strategic partner, the company said.
The Leopard is produced by Krauss-Maffei Wegman, based in Munich, Germany.