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Croatia signed a defense agreement with Germany on Wednesday to purchase 44 Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks, during Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s visit to Berlin.
Following the signing ceremony, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the deal and thanked Croatia for its trust and partnership.
“I sincerely thank you for this trust,” Merz said. “This strengthens our armed forces as NATO allies and integrates them seamlessly and efficiently through our systems. This has never been more important than today.”
“It shows we stand together in the E.U. and in NATO,” Merz added. “But it also shows we have the means to respond to current threats from Russia and others to our security and our integrity.”
Plenkovic said acquiring the Leopard 2A8 tanks marks a key milestone in Croatia’s defense strategy, as the country continues to modernize its armed forces and benefit from new E.U. defense initiatives.
“This is an important step when it comes to technology transfer in Croatia, to the transition to Western technology, where we can continue to strengthen cooperation in the area of defense and security, for example with DOK-ING company and others,” Plenkovic said.
Meanwhile, Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anusic last week announced that Croatia will spend €2 billion ($2.34 billion) as part of its ongoing defense modernization program.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Anusic said the government had approved procurement projects worth €2 billion for enhancing the capabilities of the Croatian Armed Forces.
In addition to the 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks, Croatia will purchase 18 Caesar MK2 howitzers, 420 armored off-road trucks, and four counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) protection systems.
Anusic said some procurements would be funded through the European Union’s “European Security Action” (SAFE) program, while the counter-UAV systems would be covered by the Croatian Defense Ministry’s budget.
He confirmed that contracts for the Leopard tanks would be signed in Berlin and for the Caesar howitzers in Paris.
In 2024, Croatia signed a separate defense agreement with Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar for the delivery of Bayraktar TB2 armed drones.
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