Italien Leopard 2A8

The issues regarding the ariete are mainly not related to the tank itself nor to the company but rather to the army budget. Let me explain: During the late eighties when the project was defined and the Ariete prototypes were completed the Italian army decided to divide the programme in various phases. The first phase was to be made of “experimental tanks” or rather experience units, made for get knowdelge and locate the issue of the tank. Following there would have been other 3-4 phase for new production and new improvments. Due to the end of the cold war in 1991 what we got was only the Initial phase, the one that needed improvments. Probably, if the budget remained the same, nowadays we would have more and better arietes. The reason why the tank was never improved in the latest years is again only due to the lack of founds (indeed in Italy the army has a lower budget compared to the air force and the navy).

Still if compared the decision to upgrade arietes further with completly italian tech and keeping everything in italy itself is a decision that possible.
Rather they seem to prefer wanting to spend more money on export tanks that are already finished so to say. When the same funds could be used on modifiyng arietes to a degree where they are viable

Yeah I agree on that but right now probably they just want to have two mbt lines, like how they did in the cold war (M60 and leo1)

I realy dont see a point in that. To get 2 mbts series that resemble each other so much.
Poland with their 3 mbt lines is weird enough already

Apart from the real political and economic significance of these decisions.

I find it somehow quite appealing if the Italian tree ultimately differs from the German lineup because of the decision.

A KF51 and KF41 in Italy, while Germany then receives the Leo 2A8 and the Spike Pumas as well as a few Boxers.

By the way, Hungary probably decided on a KF51 with a 120mm cannon.
Going it alone with the 130mm is probably not conceivable due to the decision within NATO to stick with the 120mm.

U gonna make a lot of germans mad with that
Since the KF51 is still german, even more so there is special german variants of it
The 130mm like you said would go to germany
Additionaly to be presented next week at the eurosatory
A KF51 turret on a Leo 2A4 chassis
image

I know :-). However, I have no problem with tanks that the Bundeswehr has rejected for good reasons not appearing in the normal tech tree.

The KF51 with 130mm cannon is welcome to appear as an event vehicle. Such as the Obj 292.

And I’m not just a German Main, I’m actually German.

That would be very bad, considering germany currently has no other option as a high caliber tank while many others have and even possible as tech tree appearing at one point.
About rather then the KF41, there is so many options left, 35mm, added Nera armor. The rejected australian one with Iron fist system or even the 120mm version. Those are all possible KF41 variants that have no home yet outside of germany

me too xD

So @x_Shini apparently the 20 bilions contract for the new tank and ifv will be signed with rheinmetall (probabably Panther and Lynx)

no suprise their honestly

Ooo Ooo, Lets get a Russian F-16C next!

https://www.rheinmetall.com/en/media/news-watch/news/2024/07/2024-07-03-rheinmetall-concludes-agreement-with-leonardo-in-italia

Oh nice, what is intresting is that they aint specialy naming the panther

Lynx was officially chosed, but apparently we wont have the Panther but a modificated version of it, denominated New Italian MBT (You don’t have to worry about the normal panther not going to the german tt at this point)

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Hungary is still a thing, and it might influence their decision on KF41 for germany as well

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yep, they could indeed do as they did for the Lynx. Let’s hope they will not

Hmmm, btw whats the chances they gonna put a kf51 tutret on ariete chassis?

Very low I think. The Ariete project for now has been then same since 5 years ago. The only possible chance to see this will be If Rheinmetall will showcase It sor something similar at an Eurosatory or another public event

Since the Leo2a8 acquisition programme was cancelled, I created a new topic IMBT and A2CS: the future of the Italian army

its gonna be KF 51 panther instead of leo 2a8