Copenhagen, 3 February 2023 (dpa/MIA) - NATO member Norway is buying 54 Leopard 2 tanks from Germany after the Norwegian government decided to procure the battle tanks from German arms manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced on Friday.

Speaking at the Rena military base about 150 kilometres north of Oslo, Støre said there was also an option to buy 18 more such tanks.

Støre emphasized his country's close and good relationship with Germany, which is playing an increasingly important role in security policy in Europe. Støre said that he had informed Chancellor Olaf Scholz about the purchase on Friday morning.

The first of the new Leopard tanks are expected to be delivered in 2026, Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram said.

According to government sources, the purchase is within an agreed spending limit of 19.7 billion Norwegian kroner ($1.96 billion) set by parliament. The negotiated purchase price was kept secret.

The Norwegian parliament approved the procurement of new battle tanks in 2021.

The Scandinavian country, which is not in the EU, considered several different tank models. According to Norwegian media reports, the decision was ultimately made between the Leopard 2A7 and the South Korean Hyundai Rotem K2 Black Panther.

Norway currently has 36 Leopard tanks of the older 2A4 type. Støre's government has announced that it will supply some of them to Ukraine, but how many remains unclear.