The Otobreda/IVECO Ariete MBT has been developed to meet the operational requirements of the Italian Army and following trials with six prototype vehicles an order was placed for 200 production vehicles.

The first of these was completed at the La Spezia facility of Otobreda late in 1995 and production is expected to run at the rate of 30 vehicles a year with final deliveries in 2001. The Ariete MBT entered operational service with the Italian Army in 1998.

It is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore gun designed by Otobreda. As the gun chamber is the same size, it will fire the same ammunition as the 120 mm smoothbore gun installed in the French Leclerc, German Leopard 2 and the US M1A1/M1A2 Abrams MBTs.

The 44 calibre chrome-lined autofrettaged smoothbore gun is fitted with a muzzle reference system, automatic fume extractor and a thermal sleeve. The coaxial recoil system consists of a recoil buffer and a nitrogen-actuated recuperator, with an internal reservoir installed on the gun cradle.

The vertical sliding wedge breech block remains open after the weapon has recoiled and the stub of the semi-combustible cartridge case has been ejected into a receptacle under the breech.

A total of 42 rounds is carried, with 15 in the turret bustle and 27 in the hull.

Production. In service with the Italian Army.