Hungary took delivery of its first Leopard tanks and artillery piece ordered from Germany, to be showcased at next week’s Day of National Defense on May 21st.
Rmx.news points out that while the day itself remembers the re-conquest of Buda Castle from the occupying Austrian Imperial forces in 1849, the military hardware is cutting edge.
Earlier this year, the Hungarian Armed Forces announced it will purchase tanks and artillery pieces from German manufacturer Kraus-Maffei Wegmann. Hungary will buy 44 of the latest, A7+ variant Leopard 2 main battle tanks. The tanks will replace Hungary’s ageing Soviet-era T72 tanks.
The Leopard 2 has a 120mm Rheinmetall L/55 cannon, 1,500 horsepower engine and a top speed of 72 km/h. The order also includes 22 PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers with a 155mm artillery gun with a maximum range of 30 to 60 km, depending on the shells used.
Additionally, the Hungarian Armed Forces will also purchase 12 used Leopard 2 A4 tanks from the company for training purposes. The value of this deal has not been disclosed either.
Photo credit: portfolio.hu