Türkiye and Italy Jointly Complete Live-Fire Trials of TULPAR 120mm for NATO Medium Tank Role.

Turkey’s Otokar and Italy’s Leonardo have completed moving and static live-fire trials of the TULPAR medium tank fitted with the Leonardo HITFACT MkII 120 mm turret, validating NATO-standard 120 mm firepower on a tracked vehicle weighing up to 45 tons. The result gives TULPAR a distinct operational role between infantry fighting vehicles and heavy main battle tanks, combining tank-caliber lethality with lower weight and potentially greater freedom of movement across the road, bridge, and transport infrastructure that would shape NATO reinforcement operations.

Compared with heavier platforms such as the Leopard 2A8, TULPAR accepts lower protection in exchange for improved strategic and operational mobility, particularly where infrastructure, transport capacity, or rapid deployment constrain heavier armor. This trade-off could make the Turkish-Italian configuration relevant for forces seeking direct-fire capability that is easier to move across dispersed theaters and NATO’s eastern flank.

Related Topic: OTOKAR’s Tulpar Infantry Fighting Vehicle with Leonardo's 120mm Turret Debuts at IDEF 2025 Redefining Firepower Roles

Turkish Otokar TULPAR medium tank fitted with Italian Leonardo’s HITFACT MkII 120 mm turret during live-fire trials, validating NATO-standard 120 mm firepower in both static and moving conditions. (Picture source: OTOKAR)

Announced on September 18, 2026, the firing campaign confirmed that the HITFACT MkII 120 mm gun, fire-control system and stabilization system could operate from the TULPAR while stationary and moving. For NATO, the importance lies not only in the successful live-fire test but in the prospect of placing tank-caliber firepower on a vehicle substantially lighter than the 60-tonne-plus main battle tanks that dominate heavy armored formations.

The Otokar TULPAR family is built around a scalable tracked chassis with a gross vehicle weight of approximately 28 to 45 tons. In its medium tank configuration, it can carry Leonardo’s HITFACT MkII turret armed with either a 105/52 mm rifled gun or a 120/45 mm low-recoil smoothbore gun, with the 120 mm version giving the vehicle access to the same broad caliber used by several NATO main battle tanks.

Leonardo designed the HITFACT MkII around a low-recoil architecture that reduces the structural burden of mounting a high-pressure 120 mm gun on a lighter armored vehicle. The turret also combines digital fire control, stabilized commander and gunner sights, thermal imaging, laser rangefinding and separated ammunition storage, giving the TULPAR medium tank the sensor and engagement architecture needed for direct-fire missions against armored vehicles and fortified positions.

The comparison with the Leopard 2A8 is central to understanding the TULPAR concept. The Leopard 2A8 sits in the low-60-tonne class and combines a 120 mm L55A1 smoothbore cannon with heavy armor and active protection, while TULPAR reaches a stated maximum gross weight of 45 tons and uses Leonardo’s shorter 120/45 low-recoil gun. The difference is therefore not simply one of firepower, but of how much protection, mobility and logistical burden each vehicle is designed to carry.

That distinction matters in Europe, where moving armored forces depends on bridge classifications, road capacity, rail loading, heavy equipment transporters, and recovery assets as much as on battlefield performance. A vehicle around 45 tons can impose fewer demands on some transport routes and engineering assets than a main battle tank weighing well above 60 tons, potentially giving commanders more flexibility when moving combat power toward NATO’s eastern flank.

This does not make the TULPAR equivalent to a Leopard 2A8. The Leopard is designed for sustained direct combat against enemy armor with a much heavier protection package, while Otokar has not published protection data demonstrating that TULPAR can offer comparable survivability. The Turkish vehicle instead reflects a different design priority, placing NATO 120mm firepower in a lower weight class that may be better suited to formations where strategic and operational mobility carry greater weight.

For NATO planners, that balance could be significant during rapid reinforcement operations. Heavy main battle tanks remain essential for the most demanding armored combat, but moving 60-tonne-class vehicles at scale puts substantial pressure on transport infrastructure and logistics. A 45-ton medium tank cannot remove those constraints entirely, but it could reduce them enough to open additional routes, simplify some transport requirements and make it easier to distribute heavy direct-fire capability across a wider force.

The use of NATO 120mm ammunition strengthens that proposition. Leonardo states that the HITFACT MkII can use standard NATO ammunition, which could allow future operators to rely on an established large-caliber ammunition ecosystem rather than create a separate supply chain. Individual ammunition types would still require national qualification and certification, but common calibre can ease procurement, storage and coalition sustainment.

Leonardo also states that the HITFACT MkII can employ Vulcano 120 guided ammunition, potentially adding a precision-engagement option beyond conventional tank rounds. Otokar’s latest announcement does not say Vulcano ammunition was used during the firing campaign, so the completed tests confirm the integration and operation of the 120 mm weapon system rather than validating every compatible munition.

The moving live-fire portion of the campaign is an important indicator of maturity because firing accurately on the move requires the gun, sights, stabilization, fire-control software, and suspension to remain coordinated under dynamic conditions. Successful testing therefore moves the Otokar TULPAR with Leonardo HITFACT MkII beyond a static exhibition configuration and gives potential customers stronger evidence that the medium tank concept can function as an integrated combat system.

For NATO, the broader significance is the possibility of fielding 120 mm direct-fire capability without always accepting the mass and support requirements of a conventional heavy MBT. In a European theater where rapid reinforcement depends on getting armored forces through constrained infrastructure before an opponent can exploit delays, vehicle weight becomes a strategic factor as well as a technical one.

The TULPAR medium tank therefore occupies a distinct position between lighter infantry fighting vehicles and heavy main battle tanks such as the Leopard 2A8. It does not offer the same level of protection as the German tank, but its combination of a 45-ton maximum weight, NATO 120mm armament, and validated moving-fire capability gives Otokar and Leonardo a stronger case for customers seeking tank-caliber lethality with fewer strategic mobility penalties.

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Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.