Austria hands over first modernised Ulan and Leopard tanks
Tuesday 25th August 2026 on 16:30 in
Austria
The Austrian Armed Forces have received the first modernised Ulan infantry fighting vehicles and Leopard main battle tanks at the Jansa Barracks in Großmittel, in the Wiener Neustadt district, ORF reported. A total of 170 tracked vehicles are to be modernised by 2029 at a cost of more than 700 million euros.
Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner said the upgraded armoured fleet would strengthen the armed forces’ capabilities in areas important to Austria’s military defence. She said the handover made the government’s “Development Plan 2032+” visible.
The modernisation programme began in 2023. The vehicles are being taken to Vienna and Munich in stages for refurbishment, with the aim of ensuring their operational capability over the long term. The upgrades include changes to the running gear, turrets, armament, crew stations and communications systems.
The Leopard 2A4 tanks are receiving new components to replace outdated equipment, while their night-fighting capability is being restored. The turret hydraulics are also being replaced with an electric drive. The Armed Forces have budgeted 305 million euros for this work.
The Ulan vehicles are undergoing extensive refurbishment, including the replacement of optical and electronic components, renovation of the electrical system and replacement of running-gear components. The work is expected to cost about 460 million euros.
The Leopard is the main weapons system of Austria’s armoured forces. It has powerful main armament, a crew of several people and a strong drive system. The Ulan is the combat vehicle used by Austria’s armoured infantry and is equipped with an onboard cannon. It can carry an infantry group in addition to its crew.
The project was initially presented in 2023 with an estimated cost of 560 million euros. Michael Bauer, a spokesperson for the Armed Forces, confirmed that the costs had since increased. He said additional simulators had been included, the repair effort could not initially be assessed precisely and inflation also had to be taken into account.