A new rendering of the future IMBT main battle tank, which will succeed the Ariete series of tanks in the Italian Army, shows the armour layout.
The rendering shows a heavily armoured turret, especially on the frontal aspect. Large add-on armour blocks support the angled turret cheek armour.
The hull also extensively uses add-on armour at the front and sides. No statement regarding the armour type (ERA, NERA, etc.) has been made yet, as the tank is still under development.
Italy’s KF-51-based IMBTs will use the 120 mm L55A1 unmanned turret developed by Rheinmetall as an interim solution. The cannon will be capable of using the VULCANO 120-guided ammunition for long-range engagements requiring precision.
However, a switch to the upcoming 130 mm smoothbore gun is on the table. After maturation, the Italian Army will likely wait for a well-made plan for transitioning to the new calibre.
