Austria Receives First Upgraded Leopard 2A4Ö Tanks and Ulan IFVs

The Austrian Armed Forces have received the first upgraded Leopard 2A4Ö main battle tanks and Ulan infantry fighting vehicles.

Michael Bauer, spokesperson for the Austrian Ministry of Defense, announced the delivery.

The modernization program is intended to extend the vehicles’ service life and bring them up to date with modern battlefield requirements.

According to tank-development historian Andriy Tarasenko, the Leopard 2A4Ö modernization covers a fleet of 58 Austrian tanks, with KNDS Deutschland performing the work. Due to budget constraints, the procurement of new tanks was canceled in favor of upgrading the existing fleet.

As part of the modernization, the turret’s onboard systems were upgraded to the A7 standard. The tanks received digital optics for the crew, enhanced reconnaissance and night-vision capabilities, as well as an updated fire-control system.

To improve aiming accuracy, the turret’s hydraulic drives were replaced with modern electric drives, while the level of armor protection and the 120 mm L/44 gun remained unchanged from the A4 configuration.

Austria established its Leopard 2 fleet in the late 1990s by purchasing 114 used tanks from the Netherlands to replace its aging M60A3 tanks. The fleet was subsequently reduced.

The Ulan NV program provides life extension for all 112 Austrian infantry fighting vehicles produced under the joint Spanish-Austrian ASCOD program. GDELS-Steyr is carrying out the work.

Austria introduced these IFVs into service in the early 2000s, replacing the aging Saurer 4K 4FA armored personnel carriers.

As part of the modernization, the IFVs received upgraded sights, new driver observation devices, updated turret drive components, a replacement heating system, and redesigned rear storage boxes to increase usable equipment space.

The modernization will allow Austria’s armored units to continue operating their existing tanks and IFVs for years to come.

The Austrian Armed Forces plan to launch a vehicle procurement program with a budget of just under €1 billion.