IAV 2025 – Italian Army details plans for increasing its heavy formations effectiveness
Following decades of operations other than war, that led the Italian Army to favour of medium formations to heavy in ones, looking at recent combat theatres the trend is now changing, the acquisition of brand-new platforms being planned for tank and mechanised infantry units
As the other western armies, the Italian Army is facing new scenarios. “In current conflicts we see traditional warfare tactics and equipment alongside the use of cutting-edge technologies that are changing the character of war. Trenches have reappeared. Tanks continue to be key tools in breaching enemy lines, while urban warfare has dramatically emerged, confirming its complexity, also in its underground dimension. Top attack and artillery systems are capable to threaten tanks at greater distances with increased accuracy. The use of swarming UAVs can be compared to unpredictable, adaptable, and lethal minefields in the third dimension, which not only represent an operational challenge but also technical and psychological ones as it amplifies true sense of vulnerability. We are thus facing multi-layered threats, with traditional ground threats now complemented by increasingly sophisticated weapons,” an Italian Army senior officer underlined in its presentation at the International Armoured Vehicles conference, organised by Defence IQ at Farnborough, UK, January 21-23.
“The digital revolution is transforming how conflicts are conducted, redefining modern warfare, and opening new dimensions of confrontation. It concerns not only the technological upgrading of weaponry, but also the expansion of conflict dimension and domains, as outer space, cyberspace, and cognitive space have become as relevant as physical ones,” he added. “Battlefield transparency requires the dispersal of both forces and logistical nodes, shifting towards a distributed logistical model, ideally relying on unmanned platforms, especially for the last mile,” the speaker underlined.
Armies must therefore adapt and transform, which is driven by two key factors, “the urgent requirement to adapt what we have and the necessity to anticipate future technological and strategic development. And the latter is the tricky part. Our success depends on the ability to adapt current resources and technologies while accelerating the development of advanced systems ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s battlefield, rapidly translating projects into reality. Adaptation and transformation are the fundamental guidelines driving our action in evolving the Italian Army,” he stated.
In the armoured vehicles domain, the Italian Army is currently fielding legacy main battle tanks (MBTs) and infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) in its two heavy brigades, respectively the Ariete and the Dardo, while medium brigades are receiving the new Centauro II armoured car, fitted with a 120 mm smoothbore gun, and the Freccia 8×8 IFV. Both the Dardo and Freccia are currently armed with a cannon chambered for 25×137 mm ammunitions. “We are investing in upgrading and maintaining operating service platforms, improving their mobility, lethality, and protection, as well as interoperability.”
The Army is about to modernise 90 Ariete C1; the qualification should be finalised soon, the service expecting the first five MBTs at the Initial Operational Capability (IOC) standard to be delivered in July 2025. The Full Operational Capability (FOC) digitised configuration should be approved by year end, when the mid-life update (MLU) work that will bring Ariete C1 tanks to the C2 standard will be launched full steam. As for the Dardo, EDR On-Line understood that only a reinforced maintenance programme is underway to allow this legacy IFV to remain operational until new platforms will become available.
“At same time, we are looking at a complete renovation of those capabilities,” the high-ranking officer explained. “Today these programmes have become something tangible; a few months ago, the joint venture between Leonardo and Rheinmetall was launched with the aim of jointly developing the A2CS fighting vehicle, based on the Lynx platform, and a new MBT, based on the Panther project. The latter programme includes 132 new combat tanks and 140 derived versions, for an investment of approximately 8 billion euros,” he said. Among the 140 specialised versions of the Panther we will find recovery, engineer and bridge laying tanks. Italy will become the launch customer for the Panther and will have therefore the task of debugging the project, what Hungary is currently doing with the Lynx. The Panther, together with the Ariete MBT upgraded to the C2 standard, will ensure heavy brigade operational capabilities in the short/medium-term.
However, the Italian Army looks ahead to a future MBT. “What should the 2040-50 main ground combat system look like? Nobody knows. But we know what to ask. We need to operate as an integrated system of systems with extended connectivity. What combination of manned and unmanned platforms do we need? Can we reduce the crew size through improved automation, or will we even turn to humanoids? How will artificial intelligence enhance command and control? These questions require collaborative answers, we need to move forward together, and Italy is ready to give its contribution to the new MBT with the experience gained and technologies developed,” the Italian Army representative stated.
As for mechanised infantry, the future will be the A2CS, the acronym for Army Armoured Combat System, which will be heavily based on Rheinmetall’s Lynx. One Lynx, taken from the Hungarian production line, has arrived in Italy in December 2024 to undergo some initial testing at the Montelibretti Army Experimental Centre, some firing demonstration at the Nettuno experimental firing range following in early February 2025. “The A2CS programme represents an investment of approximately 16 billion euros for the acquisition of 1,050 vehicles in 16 variants. All variants will have high commonality with the combat version that is the originating element. We will introduce A2CS platforms in consecutive phases, equipping one battle group at a time within our heavy brigades, completing it with all combat and derivative versions. In perspective we are going to see a paradigm shift from platform centric to a system of systems approach,” the senior officer explained, highlighting however that technology is not mature enough to immediately and fully realize the system of systems concept; thus the service selected a platform capable of significant growth potential that, combined with an open architecture, will allow the Italian Army to fully develop the system of systems concept in due time.
“This approach reflects the urgency of having immediately usable operational platforms,” he underlined, the Army badly needing to replace its ageing Dardo; “we need these vehicles now, we cannot afford delivery delays,” were his words. The combat version of the A2CS will be fitted with a Leonardo turret, probably unmanned, the cannon being definitely the 30×173 mm X-Gun which is in the last development phase by the same company, the same weapon being adopted on the new version of the Freccia 8×8 IFV which production contract was signed recently. This underlines the choice for an increased firepower, as the 25×137 mm ammunition terminal effect does not cope with NATO lethality standards. “We expect to have a significant operational capability within the next five years, at least one heavy brigade fully equipped, and our timeline has been shared with industry.”
Among the numerous versions of the A2CS we find of course the Combat which is the leading configuration. Among the other versions, which will leverage the high modularity of the Lynx platform, we find Heavy Mortar, Armoured Personnel Carrier, Engineer, Air Defence, Ambulance, Reconnaissance, Command Post, Logistic Carrier, Antitank, and Driver Trainer vehicles, the Army also planning to field a Fire Support vehicle fitted with a 120 mm turret; this will be deployed by advanced combat reconnaissance teams belonging to the Reconnaissance Regiments of the two brigades, which might become three in due time if the Army 4.0 plans will be maintained, and will replace the Centauro II armoured cars that are being fielded now, the Army intent being to have its heavy brigades all on tracked platforms. Centauro II in use in heavy brigades will then be transferred to other Cavalry units. No in-service date is available for the A2CS, the delivery of the first prototypes being planned for 2026, however we can assume the first vehicles to be delivered by the end of the decade.
Beside the platform issue, the programme to enhance heavy brigade operational capabilities also includes a considerable effort on simulation, to ensure the capacity to play complex exercises with combat supports from the barracks, Italy lacking training areas capable to host exercises above battalion level, as well as on infrastructures.
A single programme directorate for the land heavy component was created, to accelerate the procurement phase. “The key for success is collaboration between Army and industry. This new relationship with the industry is based on a three-level joint governance structure; strategic, operational, and tactical. The strategic level guides the integration between military needs and industrial capabilities, defining long term objectives; the operational level oversees the implementation of technological solutions; and the latter are identified at the tactical level, that is characterized by dedicated teams of subject matter experts.”
This new approach is based on two pillars, the high-ranking officer explained. In a first acquisition spiral new generation technologies available on the market will be integrated. At the same time the integration of future upgrades in subsequent phases, with technologies that today are not yet fully mature, is being planned. When available, technologies such as edge computing will allow the implementation of collaborative combat sensor fusion that will permit different platforms, both manned and unmanned, to share real time information for coordinating their action, increasing battlefield decision effectiveness. To ensure that communications among all sensors, effectors and the command-and-control system are available at any time full control over the electromagnetic spectrum is required, therefore the Italian Army is developing the tactical bubble concept, which was illustrated at IAV 2024, and which first tests at company level were carried out in September 2024.
“The A2CS and the new MBT must be conceived to allow software updates without modifying their physical structure, which will positively impact logistic and sustainability while reducing maintenance and upgrading costs. Military vehicles should no longer be understood as just vehicles, but as continuously evolving platforms capable of being adapted to the new technological context in reduced timeframes,” he concluded.
Other programmes are well underway. One prototype and two pre-series/pre-production aircraft of the AW249 Fenice (Phoenix) attack helicopter are flying the last pre-production awaiting maiden flight, the new machine being designed for manned-unmanned teaming operations, MLRS launchers are being upgraded and new ammunition are being acquired, HIMARS systems will increase long fires while providing an expeditionary capability, PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers will be upgraded and are receiving Leonardo Vulcano long range precision munitions, a new wheeled artillery platform will be selected to provide medium brigades with adequate indirect firepower, and air defence is getting the latest version of the SAMP/T medium range system with improved anti-ballistic missiles capacity as well as a new short-range system based on MBDA’s CAMM ER missile.
Photos courtesy CIO, Rheinmetall and P. Valpolini
