Austria has received its first modernized Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks and Ulan infantry fighting vehicles at the Austrian Armed Forces’ Jansa Barracks in Großmittel.
Austria has received its first modernized Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks and Ulan infantry fighting vehicles at the Austrian Armed Forces’ Jansa Barracks in Großmittel.
The deliveries mark the initial phase of a 2023 program to retrofit 170 tracked vehicles by 2029, including 58 Leopard tanks and 112 Ulan platforms.
Defense officials project that the total modernization effort will cost 765 million euros ($891.4 million), exceeding the government’s original estimate of 561 million euros ($654.2 million).
The fleet overhaul forms a critical part of Austria's "Development Plan 2032+," aimed at sustaining the long-term operational readiness of the military's mechanized forces without procuring entirely new ground vehicle systems.
“With the modernized tank fleet, we are strengthening the capabilities of the Austrian Armed Forces precisely where they are most important for national defense,” Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner remarked.
"Our soldiers need modern and operational systems to fulfill their mission."
Collaboration With KNDS, General Dynamics
Under the ongoing upgrade, German defense contractor KNDS is replacing the Leopard 2A4's hydraulic turret drives with electric systems, restoring night-fighting capabilities, and augmenting digital fire-control and optics components built to the tank’s advanced A7 standards.
In parallel, General Dynamics European Land Systems-Steyr handles the Ulan life-extension program, with work centered on onboard circuits, new optics, upgraded turret electronics, and improved drive components.
Completed Leopard tanks will receive additional integrations at the Austrian Army Logistics Center before entering active service, while upgraded Ulan vehicles will be directly distributed to operational units.
