PRESS RELEASE
KNDS hands over the last of 44 Leopard 2A7HU main battle tanks to Hungary
Munich, December 12, 2025 – The Hungarian army is celebrating the completion of the Leopard 2A7HU delivery with a public parade. In the presence of Hungarian Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky and Chief of the Hungarian Armed Forces General Gábor Böröndi, the 1st Armored Brigade presented its systems. Ralf Ketzel, CEO of KNDS Deutschland (KNDS), attended at the invitation of the Chief of the Hungarian Armed Forces. - An assembly plant for the production of up to 41 LEOPARD 2 A8 main battle tanks will be built in Kaunas, Lithuania. A corresponding contract was signed between the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense and KNDS Deutschland (KNDS), the manufacturer of the LEOPARD main battle tank.
During the event, the Hungarian Minister of Defence presented KNDS with a special award. Ralf Ketzel, Mario Gall, the project's responsible program manager, and Peter Ulbrich, Managing Director of KNDS Hungary Kft., which ensures the maintenance and availability of the vehicles, received awards as a token of appreciation for KNDS's achievement.
"I am very proud of this award and of being here. We have been able to play a key role in supporting Hungary in the modernization of its armed forces. As a full systems provider, KNDS has demonstrated that it is capable of successfully delivering complete solutions from a single source, ranging from training and logistical support to various vehicle systems,” said Ralf Ketzel, CEO of KNDS.
As contractually agreed, the delivery of all vehicle systems has therefore been completed on schedule.
In addition to the LEOPARD main battle tanks, the contract signed in December 2018 also included 24 PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers, three LEGUAN bridge-laying systems, five WiSENT recovery tanks, a simulation center, and a comprehensive training and logistics package.
* Lithuania Defense Services (LDS) is a joint venture of KNDS Germany and Rheinmetall Landsysteme.
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Christian Budde
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KNDS Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
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E-Mail : christian.budde@knds.de
www.knds.de
About KNDS
KNDS is the leading pan-European land defence company, uniting over 10,000 employees and generating €3.8 billion in revenue in 2024. With a strong order backlog of €23.5 billion, the group delivers innovative complete mission solutions built on state-of-the art technologies. Leveraging deep industrial expertise and strong partnerships, KNDS develops open, interoperable solutions combining manned and unmanned systems, designed to meet tomorrow’s operational challenges. As a prime contractor, it provides full system-of-systems capabilities, from platforms to ammunition and services, managing the entire value chain and encompassing complete product life cycles
Born from the alliance of Nexter and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, uniting key nations within a single group, KNDS embodies the path toward a collective and efficient future for the sovereignty and security of Europe’s defence by supporting the standardization and interoperability between European and NATO forces.
Trusted by 24 European armies and 19 worldwide, KNDS benefits from decades of combat-proven experience. KNDS embodies a united, efficient model to enhance stability and long-term security in Europe and beyond.
