27 November 2012
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LAND 400 – Land Combat Vehicle System (LCVS) is the Army’s largest, most expensive and most complex major capability equipment project to date. The project aims to deliver the mounted close combat capability to the Land Force from 2025. (photo : Militaryphotos)
Iveco - oto Melara consortium (CIO) has announced its intention to offer its extensive range of proven armoured vehicles for the Land 400 program.
Of particular relevance to the program will be the very successful 8x8 range of wheeled vehicles known as the Centauro family, all equipped with the same mobility, ballistic protection features and
a wide range of turrets and each having a specific technology and state-of-the-art performance.
The “father” of the family is the Centauro 105/120 MGS, ostensibly a tank on wheels. The Centauro armoured vehicle has been taken as a benchmark by all major Western armies when issuing their operational specifications for the manufacturing of armoured vehicles and it has immediately become an international success. The vehicles have served with great success in Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Lebanon.
The most recent vehicle of the Centauro family is a troop transport and fighting vehicle, called VbM Freccia, Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle (AIFV). The Italian Army confirmed an order for a further batch of 62 during Eurosatory Exhibition this year - a total of 223 vehicles. A second medium brigade formed with an additional 250 VBM Freccia vehicles is foreseen in the next few years.
The Italian Army Freccia AIFV is fitted with a two-person turret armed with 25 mm or 30 mm dual feed cannon.
(ADM)
