Editing Otomatic (section)

==History==
Class: Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (Prototype)<br>
Developed: 1981-1989<br>
Service: N/A<br>
Vehicles Built: 2-4<br>
Operators: N/A

As its appearance suggests, the Otomatic was a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. Like the Shilka, it was designed as an armored short-range AAA vehicle that would accompany tanks in heavy armored divisions. However, it wasn't built for a state contract - it was a private venture of the OTO Melara company (famous at the time for its OF-40 MBT) and OTO-Breda in conjunction with IVECO Defence, Officine Gallileo, and Marittimo Aero SPA. The vehicle was intended to compete in the 1980s on the international (western) marked with the German Flakpanzer Gepard and the British Marksman system.

The first mention of the program comes from 1981 where it was presented during the Paris Air Show in France, but the initial prototype (using the Palmaria hull) was actually only ready by 1985 and its first public appearance once again took place in Paris, this time in 1987. A second prototype (using the Leopard 1 hull) was built between 1987 and 1989, featuring a turret called HEFAS 76. Both prototypes were apparently Palmaria-based although at least one prototype based on the Leopard 1A1 chassis existed as well.

During various trials that took place in the 1980s and 1990s, the Otomatic performed really well. Its massive 76mm cannon completely outperformed the Gepard and the Marksman and the Italians were looking forward to getting some nice major contracts from Italy and elsewhere. Unfortunately, it all came to naught because, much like other excellent projects, it came at a wrong time. The collapse of the Soviet Union was followed by budget cuts all across the NATO and the Otomatic was simply too expensive for the Italian military at the time, especially when a lot of the military budget was committed to various missile systems.

The Otomatic was officially offered by OTO Melara until the end of the 1990s (possibly 1997) when it was quietly removed from the catalogues and one of the prototypes was scrapped. The other, Leopard-based prototype was apparently saved and OTO plans to put it on display in its La Spezia museum. But the lessons learned from the Otomatic were not lost. The turret served as a basis for the development of another 76mm weapon system, which was then installed on a Centauro chassis, producing a variant called Draco.