The Leopard 1A2 is a variant of the German Leopard I main battle tank. It differs from the original in that it has a reinforced turret armor and passive infrared night vision devices for the driver and commander. Italy was one of the operators of the Leopard 1A2. It placed its first order for German Leopard 1 tanks in 1970 as part of a rearmament program. From 1971 to 1972, Italy received 200 of these tanks, primarily replacing outdated M47s in combat units.

Due to the need for additional main battle tanks, the decision was made in 1974 to organize the licensed production of the Leopard 1 at the OTO Melara factories. Between 1974 and 1980, Italy produced 400 A2 tanks, and an additional 120 were produced between 1980 and 1983. Following the end of the Cold War, part of the Italian Leopard 1A2 fleet was decommissioned and the remainder were modernized. Though these tanks participated in peacekeeping operations in the Balkans, they were never used in combat. Leopard 1s were finally removed from service with the Italian Army in 2003.

The Italian Leopard 1A2 was introduced in Update 2.47 "Leviathans". While retaining high mobility and a powerful gun, the Italian Leopard suffers from weak armor and lacks a stabilizer and laser rangefinder, forcing a cautious playstyle.