When considering buying tanks, Lithuania looked into three models made by German, US, and South Korean companies, Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas said on Tuesday as Lithuania plans to sign a letter of intent to acquire German-made Leopard tanks later this week.
“The Lithuanian Armed Forces looked into German Leopard, American Abrams, and Korean Black Panther tanks,” the minister posted on Facebook. “The Leopard meets the operational requirements set by the Lithuanian Defence Staff best, while the US and South Korean tanks did not meet all or part of the requirements.”
The analysis and evaluation of the proposals submitted by the tank makers took about six months, Anušauskas said.
“The main evaluation criteria the decision was based on were the price and maintenance costs, the operational environment, the mobility, protection, adaptability, firepower, and interoperability. When conducting this analysis, the Lithuanian Armed Forces also assessed all potential threats and the required capabilities to counter those threats,” Anušauskas said.
In his words, various Leopard models are used in 23 countries around the world, 14 of which are NATO members.
While the delivery times for all the tanks assessed are similar, ranging from four to six years, the Leopard and Abrams are easier and faster to acquire than the others, the minister said, adding that although the two tanks are similar in price, Leopard tanks have significantly lower maintenance costs.
He also pointed out the fact that the Lithuanian army already has German weapon systems in their arsenal, so Leopard tanks would be the most compatible with the currently used equipment.
It is not yet clear how much the acquisition of the tanks will cost Lithuania Anušauskas said.
Lithuania is buying the tanks as part of its plans to create an army division. The Defence Ministry estimates that this could cost an average of 200 million euros annually until 2030.
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