Italy's MoD Awaits Final Approval to Acquire 125 Leopard 2A7/A8 Tanks to Strengthen Its Armed Forces.

According to a tweet published by A-129 Mangusta on June 12, 2023, Isabella Rauti, the Italian Undersecretary of Defense, announced the proposal to include Leopard 2A7 and Leopard 2A8 tanks in the Defense Planning Process (DPP) during a parliamentary session, aiming to enhance Italy's land capabilities. The final approval from the parliament is still pending, while the acquisition program is expected to begin in either the forthcoming DPP 2023-2025 or the following DPP.
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The Leopard 2A7+ in action (Picture source Krauss Maffei Wegman)

However, as the Defense Planning Process is usually published around the months of August and September, more details will be known. The Ariete AMV program will remain alongside the Leopard acquisition. The precise quantities remain to be understood, which could fluctuate, following the sources. In the same tweet, A-129 Mangusta speaks about 125 updated Ariete and 125 Leopards.

The agreements are still being finalized with Germany and Krauss Maffei Wegman (KWM) but it could be an order worth between 4 and 6 billion euros, with a contract signature next year.

Italy is planning to acquire new Leopard tanks from Germany and upgrade 125 of its existing Ariete tanks, in light of the Ukraine conflict and the growing importance of land warfare in Europe. Presently, Italy has 200 Ariete tanks, but only 50 are operational, prompting the country to seek more than 250 battle tanks to meet NATO requirements. The proposed budget for the tank acquisitions is set at four billion euros ($4.49 billion), starting in 2024, with a total projected expenditure of eight billion euros. However, parliamentary approval is required before the plan can be implemented.

As reported by Army Recognition in an earlier article, the Italian Ministry of Defense confirmed plans to purchase at least 125 new tanks to partially replace the C.1 Ariete tanks currently in use by the Esercito Italiano, with negotiations with KMW for the Leopard 2 tanks, specifically the A7/A8 models.

The C1 Ariete is the primary main battle tank (MBT) deployed by the Italian Army, having been developed by a consortium comprising of Iveco-Fiat and Oto Melara, aptly named the CIO (Consorzio Iveco Oto Melara). The responsibility of production was split between these two entities; Iveco was in charge of producing the chassis and engine, while Oto Melara took on the task of supplying the turret and fire-control system. This tank is equipped with state-of-the-art optical and digital-imaging technology, along with a sophisticated fire-control system that allows for day and night combat, even while the tank is in motion. The development process of the Ariete began in 1984, and the first prototypes were rolled out just two years later in 1986.

In July 2022, the Army Recognition editorial team reported that the Italian MoD (Ministry of Defense) announced the "green light" for the Italian Army’s upgrade program of its C1 Ariete MBT (AMV/Aggiornamento Mezza Vita, Mid-Life Update), which will apply to 125 tanks. A budget of EUR 848.8 Million has been allocated for 2022.

With the announcement of the purchase of the Leopard 2 by Italy, it would be a big change for the Italian army to switch from Italian-made tanks to German tanks, but once again this would be a new success for the company German KMW.

The name Leopard 2A7+ is simply used by KMW to refer to Leopard 2A7 demonstrators with additional features over other Leopard 2A7 versions. The Leopard 2A7V ("V" stands for "Verbessert", the German term for "improved"), represents the most recent version of the Leopard 2A7, developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and unveiled for the time during the edition 2016 of Eurosatory, an international defense exhibition that was held in Paris, France.

This modernized version of the Leopard 2A7 is essentially KMW's answer to the upgrade programs projected by the German Armed Forces for their Leopard 2A6 Tanks. These upgrade plans have been particularly formulated with an eye toward forthcoming procurement projects. An announcement regarding whether the Leopard 2A7V will be selected was expected to take place between 2017 and 2018.

Compared to the Leopard 2A7 tank, which has been in service with the German Army since December 2014, the Leopard 2A7V features a few significant enhancements. It has a new armored modular system for the upper front glacis plate of the hull and an upgraded, more potent Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) compared to the one utilized on the A7 model.

The Leopard 2A7V upgrades comprise several key features. The tank now has increased hull mine protection and a 20 KW Auxiliary Power Unit. The vehicle is also equipped with an air-conditioning unit, solar-reducing Barracuda matting, and a Battlefield Management System. The tank’s optical systems have also been upgraded with a third-generation Attica thermal imaging unit for both the Commander’s Independent Sight and Gunner's Sight, and a Spectus multi-spectral driver’s vision device. The fire control system has been modified to program the DM 11 High Explosive 120mm round. Additionally, an extra layer of modular armor has been added to the upper glacis.