The Centauro II is equipped with a wide range of digital systems and sub-systems. (Leonardo photo)
Posted on 10/21/2016 8:25:42 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
On Wednesday, Italian defense officials and industry representatives gathered at a military base on the outskirts of Rome to view a demonstration of Rome’s newest tank, the Centauro II.
The exhibition took place on October 19 at the Cecchignola Army range. Parliament is still deliberating on whether to approve the $520 million for the combat vehicle, as Mauro Moretti, CEO of aerospace technology company Leonardo, and Deputy Defence Staff Chief Lt. Gen. Danilo Errico watched the prototype traverse ditches and steep hills.
The Centauro II is more powerful than the original, with a 720-horsepower engine, a digital-communication display and a 120 mm cannon. It was built through a joint venture between Leonardo and Italian vehicle manufacturer Iveco, and if funding is approved, the Italian army will acquire 150 of the tanks.
Defense News quoted Lt. Gen. Francesco Castrataro speaking at the exhibition saying, "The new Centauro is a tank destroyer which protects troops, rather than a tank, which would be weigh[ed] in at double the maximum 30 ton weight of a Centauro. It is essential to combine the new Centauro with the Freccia, which is a troop transporter. It is agile, flexible and can do more than 100 [kilometers per hour] on a road." It was noted that the Centauro II "is cheaper, lighter and more flexible than a tank, with the same destructive power as a tank."
The general also pointed out that the eight wheels extending from the hull can serve as a buffer from mines the tank may run over, and addressed funding concerns, saying that the Italian Defense Ministry can recoup its investment from royalties if enough of the vehicles are sold outside of the country.
Read more: https://sputniknews.com/europe/201610201046562578-new-italian-tank-unveilled-funding/
The Centauro II is equipped with a wide range of digital systems and sub-systems. (Leonardo photo)
No treads = tank?
Are they made out of recycled Fiats?
Hey. That’s my ancestors :)
The Roman Empire they ain’t, though!
That’s an armored car.
Curb-Feelers?
Just look at it.
Shoot out a tire and then cover it in gasoline.
Poof.
even
Standard Italian battle tank features: twice as many reverse gears as forward gears and dual rear-view mirrors ...
thank you...
Speaking of Italian tires, here's a joke:
Have you heard of the Italian tire?
Dey through snow.
Dey through mud.
But when dey go flat,
Dey go wop, wop, wop, wop...
Hey, it's an oldie I heard at an Italian restaurant I worked at as a teenager in NW Ohio in 1974.
It would be fun in rush hour traffic.
Probably best left in 1974.
Used to be that speed and maneuvering could offset relatively light armor. You didn’t have to worry about surviving a hit if it was unlikely that you would get hit. However, with modern sensors, computer fire control, and ever more capable ordnance... The chances of a first round hit on just about any target are pretty good. I don’t think this armored vehicle will prove very survivable. Well, unless it’s sensors and weapons significantly out range the adversary.
It seems nobody read the article, including the editor who wrote the title. It’s not a tank, it’s a tank killer. That sucker will do 62 MPH.
This vehicle was designed to carry out tactical reconnaissance, fire support and territorial defense tasks. During numerous peacekeeping missions Centauro tank destroyers have been used to escort convoys and for road patrol missions. The Centauro proved to be a successful design. By modern standards it is considered as a fire support vehicle, rather than a tank destroyer. Even though the Centauro can engage main battle tanks, it is not normally used for such engagements. Its main role is to support infantry in medium brigades.
God, they’re getting ready to invade Ethiopia again!!!
I wonder how it takes an RPG hit? Looks like the only thing it might scare is a truckload of rebels wirh AK-47s
Yes indeed. Nothing more than bait for RPGs and ATGMs.
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