The first Hungarian Leopard tanks are ready

Hungarian Defence Forces New Leopard Tank

Hungarian Leopard 2A4HU Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd

The Hungarian Defence Forces visited the German factory in Munich on 3^rd July to take a look at the new Hungarian tanks. The Hungarian government ordered several vehicles from the German Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Group. The first batch of these armoured vehicles are ready and will be transported to Hungary soon.

Hvg found that the Hungarian Ministry of Defence also posted the new vehicles on their Facebook page. The vehicles that are shown in the posts have been purchased from a German company as part of the Zrínyi 2026 armed forces development program. According to the post, the combat vehicles are still in Munich at Krauss-Maffei Wegmann’s German combat vehicle manufacturing plant, but the Leopard 2A4 tanks are going to their new home soon.

Most még Münchenben, a KMW német harcjárműgyártó üzemében, de hamarosan érkeznek hozzánk a Leopard 2A4-es harckocsik.
Posted by Honvédelmi Minisztérium on Friday, July 3, 2020

The Hungarian Defence Forces ordered a total of 12 Leopard 2A4 tanks, which are already finished and will serve training purposes for both soldiers and maintenance personnel until the arrival of the more advanced Leopard 2A7+ tanks expected to be ready in 2023.

Hungarian Defence Forces Leopard 2A7+HU and 2A4HU — Hungarian Defence Forces Leopard 2A7+HU (right) and 2A4HU (left) Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd

According to the ministry, the learning process is necessary because the operation and maintenance of the new Leopard 2s are significantly different from the Soviet T-72 tanks that have been in use by the Hungarian Armed Forces since 1978. The tanks are expected to arrive in Hungary before the end of the year.

Hungarian Defence Force New Leopard 2A4HU — The new Hungarian Defence Forces Leopard 2A4HU and 2A7+HU behind it Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd

In total, the Hungarian Armed Forces had ordered weapons and equipment from Germany for a total of 572 billion forints (€ 1.634 million) back in 2018. According to the Ministry of Defence, the army also purchased 44 Leopard 2A7+ heavy tanks and 24 Panzerhaubitze 2000 (Pzh. 2000) self-propelled guns from the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Group.

Hungarian Defence Forces New Leopard Hungarian Banner — Gábor Lőrincz Brigadier General puts the Hungarian banner on the new Leopard tanks of the Hungarian Defence Forces Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd

The Development program also accounts for the training of the use of the new equipment as well as developing the infrastructure and hangars used for the new vehicles. This purchase will help the Hungarian Armed Forces to catch up to the standards of other military forces around the world.