Sweden is buying brand-new tanks for the first time in decades, and the Stridsvagn 123B is the headline act. While most of the attention around Sweden's armored modernization program has focused on the larger batch of upgraded Strv 123A tanks, the 123B is a different beast entirely. It's not a refurbished vehicle. It's a completely new build, based on the Leopard 2A8, and it's set to put Sweden among the operators of the most capable main battle tanks on the planet.
Here's what you need to know about the Strv 123B, from what it actually is to how it sits within Sweden's broader rearmament effort.
What Is the Stridsvagn 123B?
The Stridsvagn 123B is Sweden's designation for 44 newly manufactured Leopard 2A8 tanks, adapted to Swedish requirements and procured through a contract signed with KNDS Deutschland in January 2025. KNDS is the German-French defense consortium made up of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Nexter, the same industrial group behind Sweden's existing armored fleet.
To be clear about the distinction: the 123B is not an upgraded version of anything. It comes off the production line as a new tank. Sweden's defense materiel agency, FMV (Försvarets materielverk), signed the contract as part of a larger deal worth over €1.91 billion that also covers the upgrade of 66 existing Stridsvagn 122 tanks to 123A standard. Ten of the 44 new 123B tanks are also intended to replace the ten Strv 122s Sweden sent to Ukraine as military aid.
"Stridsvagn 123A and Stridsvagn 123B will be among the most modern tanks in the world. Compared to Stridsvagn 122, it is essentially a completely new tank, even though they may appear similar on the outside."
Göran Mårtensson, FMV Director-General
Strv 123B vs. Strv 123A: What's the Actual Difference?
This is the question that trips people up, so let's sort it out. Both the 123A and 123B will enter Swedish service equipped with the same 120 mm L55A1 cannon, the same two 7.62 mm Kulspruta 94 machine guns, and broadly similar electronics. At a glance, a non-expert would struggle to tell them apart. But the underlying vehicles are fundamentally different.
The 123A starts as a Strv 122, the Swedish-spec Leopard 2A5 that has been in service since the late 1990s. Upgrading it means new electronics, new optics, a new gun and track system, but the chassis, the MTU MB 873 engine (rated at 1,500 hp), and the drivetrain stay the same. The 123B, by contrast, comes with a completely new chassis, engine, and transmission from the factory. That's a meaningful difference in terms of long-term reliability, structural integrity, and the vehicle's ability to absorb future upgrades.
| Feature | Strv 123A | Strv 123B |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Upgraded Strv 122 (Leopard 2A5SE) | Newly manufactured Leopard 2A8 |
| Chassis | Retained from Strv 122 | Brand-new production chassis |
| Engine/Drivetrain | Unchanged (MTU MB 873, 1,500 hp) | New engine and transmission |
| Main Gun | 120 mm L55A1 | 120 mm L55A1 |
| Electronics | Replaced to Leopard 2A8 standard | Leopard 2A8 standard from factory |
| Armor | Upgraded modules | New, modernized armor package |
| Quantity | 110 units | 44 units |
| Delivery | 2027–203 | 2028–2031 |
Stridsvagn 123B Specifications
Based on reporting from the Swedish Ground Combat School and FMV, here are the confirmed figures for the Strv 123B. The tank measures 10.96 meters in length with its main gun, 3.76 meters wide, and 3.03 meters tall. Combat weight comes in at 66.5 tons, which is heavier than its predecessors thanks to the modernized armor package. Maximum speed is approximately 70 km/h on road, and operational range sits around 400 km. The crew complement remains four: commander, gunner, loader, and driver.
The Gun and Firepower Upgrade
Both the 123A and 123B replace the older 120 mm L44 gun that equipped the Strv 122 with the newer Rheinmetall Rh-120/L55A1. The L55A1 has a longer barrel (55 calibers versus 44), which translates directly into higher muzzle velocity and better armor penetration. Crucially, it's also compatible with programmable ammunition, including airburst rounds, which gives the crew options against infantry and light vehicles that older tank guns simply don't have.
Secondary armament consists of two 7.62 mm Kulspruta 94 machine guns, one coaxial and one mounted for anti-aircraft use. The 123B also incorporates a remote weapon station with a ground range of approximately 5,000 meters and aerial range around 2,500 meters, a significant asset for defending against drone threats that have become increasingly prominent on modern battlefields.
Protection and Electronics
Where the 123B really pulls ahead of the older Strv 122 is in its protection and electronics architecture. The tank comes with a modernized armor package from the factory, rather than bolted-on upgrade modules. All onboard electronic systems are aligned with current Leopard 2 standards, including the combat control system, gunner and commander sights, and a night-driving camera for the driver. What this means in practical terms is that Sweden will be running a digital architecture that's consistent across the fleet and compatible with NATO command structures.
The 123B also incorporates a 20-kilowatt electrical output to power modern systems, compartment cooling, all-day vision cameras, and a combined thermal imaging and laser rangefinder system. These might sound like incremental improvements, but they matter a lot in the context of modern armored warfare, where situational awareness and target acquisition speed often determine who fires first.
Why Sweden Is Buying New Tanks at All
To understand the 123B procurement, you have to understand where Sweden's tank fleet was heading before this program started. After years of post-Cold War defense cuts, Sweden had roughly 120 Strv 122 tanks on paper, with only a fraction in active service at any one time. The decision to donate 10 of those to Ukraine in 2023 reduced the active fleet further, and combat losses in Ukraine (nine of the ten donated tanks have been destroyed, damaged, or captured according to the Oryx blog as of mid-2025) underscored that even capable tanks are consumable in high-intensity warfare.
Sweden joined NATO in March 2024, and with membership came the expectation of contributing to collective defense at scale. The parliamentary goal of building out to four mechanized brigades requires tanks, and the 123B acquisition, alongside the 123A upgrades, gets Sweden to 154 modern main battle tanks by 2031. Sweden's Defense Minister Pål Jonson has called this program the country's most significant defense investment since the 1950s, which gives you a sense of the scale of the shift underway.
The Delivery Timeline
The first 123B tanks are scheduled to arrive in Sweden from 2028, with deliveries continuing through 2031. That puts the full fleet online roughly seven years after Sweden began the modernization process in earnest. In parallel, the 110 Strv 123A upgraded tanks will arrive in batches from 2027 through 2030. By the end of 2031, Sweden's Army intends to field all 154 tanks across its growing mechanized brigade structure.
For context, the timeline sits within a broader upgrade wave that also includes modernization of Sweden's CV90 infantry fighting vehicle fleet and investment in artillery, air defense, and support infrastructure. The tank program doesn't exist in isolation.
What This Means for NATO
Sweden's choice to build the 123B on a standardized Leopard 2A8 platform is not an accident. Germany, Norway, and other NATO allies are all converging on the same family of vehicles. Shared platforms mean shared logistics, compatible ammunition, shared training pipelines, and easier combined-arms operations across national boundaries. FMV's own Director-General made the point explicitly: the program is specifically designed to reduce Sweden's reliance on national-only solutions.
What I find interesting watching this program develop is how consciously Sweden is aligning itself with the broader NATO industrial and operational ecosystem. That's a meaningful shift from the era when Swedish defense planning centered on neutrality and self-sufficiency. The Strv 123B isn't just a new tank. It's a statement about how Sweden intends to fight alongside its allies.
A tank that can communicate, coordinate, and integrate with allies on day one is worth more than a technically superior vehicle that can't.
Wrapping Up: What to Watch For
The Stridsvagn 123B is Sweden's cleanest break from its Cold War-era armor tradition. Forty-four brand-new Leopard 2A8-based tanks, built to modern NATO standards, equipped with the L55A1 gun and programmable ammunition, and fitted with electronics that finally match what Sweden's allies are running. Deliveries begin in 2028, with the full fleet in place by 2031. Combined with the 110 upgraded Strv 123A tanks, Sweden will field 154 modern main battle tanks across four mechanized brigades, a force that didn't exist even in outline form just a few years ago.
If you want to follow this program as it develops, the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) publishes procurement updates, and outlets like Army Recognition and The Defense Post have been tracking the contract milestones closely. There's also a wider story here about how NATO's smaller members are rebuilding armored capability after decades of underinvestment. The Strv 123B is one of the more concrete examples of that trend.
