37 of the 54 Leopard 2 tanks Norway has ordered from German Krauss-Maffei Wegmann are to be assembled at Ritek in Levanger. The agreement was signed at the Oslo Military Society on Tuesday morning. – The plan is that Ritek will not only assemble the Norwegian Leopard wagons, but also become a Nordic hub for maintenance, repair and upgrading of the Nordic Leopard fleet. This is what Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) says. Bjørn Arild Gram congratulates KNDS Deutschland (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann) and Ritek who on Tuesday signed an agreement which means that tanks will be produced in Norway for the first time. Photo: Matheo Dolva / news Important move The government decided in 2023 to buy 54 new Leopard 2 A8 NOR tanks. This is the most modern and digitized tank that has been made, and according to the Ministry of Defence, it is a very important measure for the strengthening of the Armed Forces. Ritek becomes official subcontractor for Leopard 2 tanks. Photo: Tariq Alisubh / news – According to the plan, the production line is to be maintained after the Norwegian carriages have been produced, so that Ritek can continue to produce carriages to be exported to other countries. This is positive for both local value creation and national preparedness. Strengthens capacity The agreement will help to strengthen NATO’s and Europe’s capacity to increase the production of tanks in the future. The ministry points out that Ritek is centrally located near important logistics hubs in the middle of the Nordic region. And that it is an area with access to specialized labor that the company needs to grow. - This is the largest contract in the company’s history, says general manager Jan Marius Reppe of Ritek to NTB. Ritek was founded in 2003 by former employees of the Norwegian Armed Forces’ technical workshop, and has assignments both for the Norwegian Armed Forces and civilian customers. They have close to 60 employees. – There is a need for increased heavy workshop capacity in the Nordics, which the agreement can facilitate. The contract signed here today will strengthen both the industrial cooperation between Norway and Germany, while at the same time strengthening Europe’s resilience and security of supply, says the Minister of Defence. Published 11.06.2024, at 08.45 Updated 11.06.2024, at 08.49
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37 of the 54 Leopard 2 tanks Norway has ordered will be assembled at Ritek in Levanger – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
