On 22 December 2022, the Directorate of Land Armaments signed a contract with IDV for the supply of 36 Amphibious Armored Vehicles (VBA) to the Italian Navy. The contract comes as part of the program to renew and extend the vehicles’ fleet for National Defence, aimed at increasing the Sea Projection National Capability of the Italian Navy.
The VBA is an 8x8 all-terrain vehicle, capable of being launched and recovered from an amphibious vessel in open ocean and offering at the same time excellent mobility and high-level ballistic, anti-mine and anti-IED protection.
The 700HP FPT Cursor 16 engine, combined with an automatic 7-speed gearbox and an H-driveline, derived from the Centauro and the VBM Freccia, provides the VBA with a maximum on-road speed of 105 km/h, while the two rear-mounted hydraulic propellers guarantee the navigation beyond "Sea State 3" and a top speed of 6 knots. The platform is equipped with a HITROLE Light remote turret, supplied by Leonardo, with a 12.7mm caliber weapon and latest generation C4 systems.
The VBA for the Italian Navy is based on the SUPERAV 8x8, the amphibious vehicle platform used for the US Marine Corps’ ACV (Amphibious Combat Vehicle), which is provided in partnership with BAE Systems.
Iveco Defence Vehicles is a company of Iveco Group. IDV is dedicated to delivering innovative automotive and protection solutions to meet the needs of military customers worldwide. The company manufactures specialist logistic, protected, and armored vehicles to meet a broad spectrum of defence applications.
