Italy plans to procurement of a total of 272 KF51 main battle and special tanks and 1,050 KF41 infantry fighting vehicles. According to current plans by the Roman government, the first KF41s are to be delivered this year.
On February 3, the new KF41 was installed on the Nettuno polygon near Rome (map) was officially unveiled by the Italian army.
Since December 31, the infantry fighting vehicle has been undergoing a series of demonstration tests in the presence of high-ranking military and industrial decision-makers. Among those present were Chief of the Defense Staff Luciano Portolano, Chief of the Army Staff Carmine Masiello and the top management of Leonardo and Rheinmetall – represented by Leonardo President Stefano Pontecorvo, CEO Roberto Cingolani (-> Leonardo boss calls for more European cooperation), Co-General Director Lorenzo Mariani, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger and Rheinmetall Italia CEO Alessandro Ercolani.
The joint venture Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles (LRMV, -> Leonardo and Rheinmetall establish “tank joint venture”), which is controlled equally by Leonardo and Rheinmetall. Legally, the company will be based at Rheinmetall Italia in Rome, and since one fifth of Rheinmetall’s 50 percent share will be handled by Rheinmetall Italia, the Italian production share in the program will reach 60 percent at the end of the day. Production will take place in the former OTO Melara plants in La Spezia.
KF41 Lynx: Fast replacement for the VCC-80 Dardo
The KF41 Lynx is set to rapidly replace the VCC-80 Dardo and will be produced in two phases: In phase one, a total of five prototypes are to be developed from 2026 and then series production is to begin in phase two from 2028.
Delivery of the desired 1,050 KF41 infantry fighting vehicles should then be completed by 2040. The Italian army is planning to introduce a total of 16 variants.
The five main variants:
- Unarmed version for specialized operations.
- Version with armament: optionally with the 120-millimeter Nemo mortar turret from Patria or a remote-controlled weapon station.
- Anti-aircraft tank in an Italianized Skyranger variant.
- Main battle tank version with 120-millimeter cannon.
- Variant with the unmanned HITFIST-30 turret, equipped with Leonardo’s electric X-Gun (30×173 millimeters).
Italy will receive the first five vehicles in addition to the 1,050 KF41 Lynx as early as 2025 as part of an urgent operational requirement. A further eleven vehicles equipped with HITFIST 30 turrets will be added in 2026 – also under the same urgent operational requirement. These 16 prioritized vehicles will be manufactured in Hungary (-> Rheinmetall opens Lynx factory in Hungary).
Longer lead time for the KF51
The planned KF51 Panther main battle tank (-> Rheinmetall presents its new Panther) will take more time. LRMV plans to deliver the first prototype for evaluation in 2026 or 2027 at the earliest. Series production of the four main variants will then take place between 2028 and 2035.
Planned are:
- Bridge-laying tank
- Engineer tank
- Armored recovery vehicle
- Main battle tank
A total of 272 units are to be manufactured, including 140 special vehicles and 132 main battle tanks.
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Italian KF51: State-of-the-art armament and protection systems
According to initial information, the Italian KF51 Panther will be equipped with a 120-millimeter L55A1 cannon as its main weapon. However, the unmanned turret is prepared from the outset for a future caliber upgrade.
The ammunition used includes Vulcano guided grenades from Leonardo and Diehl Defense with a range of at least 20 kilometers. The main battle tank will also be able to fire loitering ammunition. To this end, Rheinmetall offers a family of loitering-capable precision ammunition in the form of the Hero.
For protection, the main battle tank is equipped with the StrikeShield Active Protection System (APS), which provides active defense against drones, guided missiles and anti-tank missiles.
The high mobility of the KF51 remains a central element. We are currently examining which Italian engines can be adapted accordingly.
Billion-euro investment and export potential
The planned investment volume for the project is 23.2 billion euros and is expected to create at least 7,000 new jobs in Italy. The potential export volume is estimated at around 50 billion euros over the next 15 years.
Here for further news from Rheinmetall and here to further news about Leonardo.
