Austria's defence boost: New Leopard 2A8 tanks on the horizon

Currently, Austria has not been able to form a government more than 130 days after the elections, as talks between the only possible coalition partners, the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), are still ongoing.

According to the Exxtra24 portal, leaks from the coalition agreement indicate that it includes the purchase of 58 Leopard 2A8 tanks, which would be a significant reinforcement for the Austrian armoured forces. These forces currently consist of the Panzerbataillon 14 armoured battalion stationed in Wels, which has 58 Leopard 2A4 tanks. These were purchased from the Netherlands in the 1990s and are scheduled for modernisation.

The source of cheap Leopard 2 tanks has essentially dried up, as everything available has gone to Ukraine or been allocated through the Ringtausch programme. Now, the only option for acquiring additional machines is to purchase brand new units in the Leopard 2A8 version, with each unit estimated to cost 29 million euros (24 million pounds). This way, Austria will join the growing group order from Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Lithuania.

Leopard 2A8 is the latest offering from the KNDS company, an evolution of the well-known NATO Leopard 2, which forms the mainstay of the armaments in many European countries belonging to the North Atlantic Alliance. Although a more advanced version, Leopard-2 A-RC 3.0, was presented at the last Eurosatory fair, its commercial debut will take a bit more time. It is worth noting that this might still be faster than the MGCS programme outcome, expected only in the 2040s.

A key aspect of the Leopard 2A8 is the advanced Israeli Trophy active protection system, also used in American M1A2 SEP V2/3 Abrams tanks. Integrating Trophy is crucial because tanks are best protected from the front, while their sides, top, and rear are most vulnerable to attack.

This system is invaluable in neutralising anti-tank guided missiles, which target the more weakly protected parts of the vehicle. Its job is to destroy an incoming missile before it reaches the tank. Trophy achieves this by firing countermeasure projectiles with an explosively formed penetrator towards the object located by radar antennas mounted on the sides of the turret.

Despite the high effectiveness of this system, evident during battles in the Gaza Strip, the tank retained its traditional armour. This is essential for protection against kinetic penetrators fired from other tanks' guns. The A8 variant has additionally reinforced side armour, bringing its weight to nearly 70,000 kilograms.

The change in weight has not significantly affected the mobility of the Leopard 2A8, as the engine was upgraded from 1500 to 1600 horsepower, allowing it to maintain good manoeuvrability on a modern battlefield.