General Dynamics European Land Systems – Santa Bárbara Sistemas (GDELS-SBS) and KNDS Deutschland, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and design authority for the Leopard 2 main battle tank (MBT), have signed an agreement on joint co-operation for a potential upgrade of the Spanish Army’s Leopard 2E fleet, GDELS announced on 20 March 2025.
The agreement, which builds on the companies’ relationship in delivering the original Leopard 2E production programme for the Spanish Army, was actually signed at the end of 2024, GDELS noted.
The Leopard 2E MBT was developed for the Spanish Army and is based on the German Leopard 2 A6 configuration.
Additionally, KNDS and GDELS, together with Israel’s Rafael, have established a structured co-operation as founding members of EuroTrophy: a German-based joint company focused on production of the Rafael’s battle-proven Trophy active protection system (APS) in Europe. The Trophy APS has become part of the new standard configuration of the Leopard 2 A8 as fielded by the German Army.
GDELS-SBS and KNDS Deutschland are looking to “fuse their technological and industrial expertise and capabilities to offer a proper modernisation of the Leopard 2E to the Spanish Army and to assure continued interoperability with other European Leopard 2 key user nations and allies”, GDELS stated in a press release, adding that it “is prepared to assume again a key role in a future Leopard 2E upgrade programme of the Spanish Army”.
The Spanish Army operates a fleet of around 219 Leopard 2E MBTs, along with around 55 older Leopard 2 A4s (with 25 more in storage), according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ latest edition of The Military Balance.
On 13 March 2025 Spain’s Indra and Germany’s Rheinmetall, OEM of the Leopard 2’s fire control systems, signed a memorandum of understanding in relation to potential Spanish Leopard 2E upgrade work.
The Spanish Army plans to modernise its Leopard 2E fleet via multiple phases. The first phase, which will address obsolescence issues and improve sustainment capabilities, is expected to deliver an initial operational capability by 2029. A second phase will add an APS and remote weapon station, while a third phase will cover the addition of 60 mission modules, leading to a planned full operational capability by 2032.
