Assembly of Leopard 2A8NO main battle tanks has officially begun at a new plant in Levanger, Norway. The plant is run by German manufacturer KNDS Deutschland together with Norwegian maintenance and repair company RITEK.
Key details
- Norway ordered 54 Leopard 2A8 tanks, and 37 of them will be built in Levanger.
- The plant can build up to 36 tanks a year.
- The production and test infrastructure was built in about 18 months and opened in May 2026, when the first two tanks were handed over.
- The test facilities include a laser range, steep slopes and a water-crossing pool.
- The site runs on geothermal power.
Why it matters
Moving production into the customer country builds local skills for manufacturing, maintenance and spare parts support. KNDS is also bringing in suppliers from Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Spain.
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Source: Militarnyi, 16 October 2026