This marks the start of a larger order which is expected to total 64 vehicles for the Navy, 64 for the Army and 18 for the Army Engineering Corp. The VBA, developed by Iveco, is an all-terrain vehicle capable of being launched and recovered from an amphibious vessel in open ocean while offering high-level protection against ballistic, mine, and IED threats.
The initial 36 vehicles will equip the navy's San Marco Brigade.
Powered by a 700HP FPT Cursor 16 engine and equipped with an automatic 7-speed gearbox and an H-driveline derived from the Centauro and the VBM Freccia, the VBA has a maximum on-road speed of 105 km/h. Additionally, two rear-mounted hydraulic propellers allow for navigation beyond "Sea State 3" and a top speed of 6 knots.
While the U.S. Marines' Amphibious Combat Vehicles feature a Kongsberg 30mm turret, the Italian vehicles will be equipped with the Leonardo Hitrole Light remote turret with a 12.7mm caliber weapon. The Italian vehicles will also carry a slightly smaller crew and passenger capacity, with 3 crew members and 10 passengers, as opposed to the U.S. vehicles which carry 3 crew members and 13 passengers.
In last year’s budget, Italy said it would provide €323 million ($347 million) in funding for acquisition of the first vehicles between 2022 and 2024.
Source: IDV
