The Czech military to buy 14 Leopard tanks from Germany in a $167 million deal

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Defense Ministry says it’s planning to buy 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks from Germany in a deal worth about $167 million. The ministry said on Wednesday it hopes to sign a deal with Germany’s Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH by the end of the year, with the tanks to be delivered by the end of 2026. The deal is part of a major modernization of the Czech military amid Russia’s war against Ukraine. Germany has already donated 28 Leopard 2A4 tanks to the Czechs in exchange for the weapons they gave to Ukraine. The Leopards will replace the obsolete Soviet-era T-72 tanks.