The war in Ukraine has underscored the importance of land warfare, prompting European nations to reinforce their ground forces. In this context, Italy is preparing to “Italianize” the Leopard 2 A8 main battle tanks it will acquire from Germany by integrating indigenous defense industry systems. The effort, led by defense giant Leonardo, aims to equip the tanks with Italian-made electro-optic sensors, software-defined radios, command-and-control systems, and potentially a domestically manufactured gun barrel, with assembly taking place at Leonardo’s La Spezia facility.

Lorenzo Mariani, Co-General Manager of Leonardo, stated that the initiative is designed not only to meet Italy’s operational needs but also to expand the country’s industrial footprint within the defense sector. In December, Italy signed a Letter of Intent with KNDS—a consortium of Germany’s Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and France’s Nexter—for the procurement of over 130 Leopard 2 A8 tanks.

The project is also expected to involve Italy’s Iveco and Germany’s Rheinmetall. Moreover, Italy is eyeing participation in the European Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) program and pursuing the A2CS initiative, a €5 billion national project aimed at developing up to 1,000 infantry fighting vehicles. CIO, the joint venture between Iveco and Oto Melara, has already begun drafting requirements for the Italian Army, with a feasibility study proposal anticipated soon.

Mariani added that they expect an official request by the end of February and are prepared to deliver a proposal within two to three months. These efforts are seen as part of Italy’s broader strategy to strengthen its defense industrial base, reduce dependence on foreign suppliers, and ensure a significant national contribution to future European defense cooperation.