B1 Centauro
Encyclopedia
The Centauro is a wheeled tank destroyer
designed for light to medium territorial defense and tactical reconnaissance. It was developed by a consortium of manufacturers, the Società Consortile Iveco
Fiat
- Oto Melara
(CIO). Iveco Fiat was tasked with developing the hull and propulsion systems while Oto Melara was responsible for developing the turrets and weapon systems.
requirement for a tank destroyer with the firepower of the old Leopard 1 main battle tank then in service with the Italian Army but with greater strategic mobility. The main mission of the Centauro is to protect other lighter elements of the cavalry
, using its good power-to-weight ratio
, excellent range and cross country ability (despite the wheeled design) and computerized fire control system to accomplish this mission. Centauro entered production in 1991 and deliveries were complete by 2006.
Secondary weapons are a 7.62 mm coaxial
machine gun
, and another 7.62 mm anti-aircraft
machine gun with 4,000 rounds of ammunition.
Aiming is provided by Galileo Avionica TURMS fire control system (the same fitted to the Italian Ariete
tank) and is equipped with a muzzle referencing system and a fully digital ballistic computer. The gunner sight is fully stabilized and comes equipped with a thermal imager and laser rangefinder. The commander's station is equipped with a panoramic stabilized sight, an image intensifying night sight and a monitor displaying the image from the gunner's thermal sight. This allows Centauro to engage targets while stationary or on the move against stationary or moving targets day or night.
The Centauro is also equipped with an NBC (Nuclear, Chemical and Biological) warfare protection system which is integrated with the vehicle's air conditioning system. The vehicle is also equipped with a four-barreled smoke grenade launcher mounted on each side of the turret and a laser warning receiver.
-designed automatic transmission
which is manufactured under license by Iveco Fiat. The transmission system has five forward and two reverse gears. This drives 8 wheels which are each equipped with an independent suspension system and is furthermore equipped with run-flat inserts and a Central Tyre Inflation System (CTIS). Braking is provided by 8 disc brakes. Steering is provided on the first and second axles and at slow speed with also the fourth axle. Together, this allows Centauro to achieve road speeds in excess of 100 km/h, negotiate gradients up to 60%, ford water up to a depth of 1.5m without preparation, and have a turning radius of 9m.
and Somalia
, where the design proved successful. Centauro was usually used to escort motor convoys, for wide area control and for road patrols. Centauros were also deployed during operation Antica Babilonia, the Italian involvement in the Iraq War. During this operation, a Centauro troop took part in the battle for the bridges of Nassiriya, destroying a building with enemy snipers inside. It is currently deployed as part of UNIFIL forces in Lebanon
.
Italian army ordered a prototype of the 120mm variant, with improved armour. The first trials are expected in 2012.
An early prototype, armed with a 155x39 gun, is seen at the national Italian holiday of 2nd of June ( 2011).
A known AAA and c-ram prototype version, called " Draco", is armed with a 76mm automatic cannon, and with Strales directional ammunition system.
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Tank destroyer
A tank destroyer is a type of armored fighting vehicle armed with a gun or missile launcher, and is designed specifically to engage enemy armored vehicles...
designed for light to medium territorial defense and tactical reconnaissance. It was developed by a consortium of manufacturers, the Società Consortile Iveco
Iveco
Iveco, an acronym for Industrial Vehicle Corporation, originally an alliance of European commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Fiat , Unic and Magirus. Iveco is now an Italian truck, bus, and diesel engine manufacturer, based in Turin...
Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
- Oto Melara
Oto Melara
Oto Melara is an Italian defence company with factories in Brescia and La Spezia. It was founded in 1905 as a joint venture of Vickers and Terni. During World War I, Vickers Terni produced many weapons with calibre 40 mm and upwards. In 1929 the company was renamed Odero Terni Orlando with the...
(CIO). Iveco Fiat was tasked with developing the hull and propulsion systems while Oto Melara was responsible for developing the turrets and weapon systems.
Description
The vehicle was developed in response to an Italian ArmyItalian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
requirement for a tank destroyer with the firepower of the old Leopard 1 main battle tank then in service with the Italian Army but with greater strategic mobility. The main mission of the Centauro is to protect other lighter elements of the cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
, using its good power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio is a calculation commonly applied to engines and mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another. Power-to-weight ratio is a measurement of actual performance of any engine or power sources...
, excellent range and cross country ability (despite the wheeled design) and computerized fire control system to accomplish this mission. Centauro entered production in 1991 and deliveries were complete by 2006.
Armament
The main armament consists of the Oto Melara 105 mm / 52 caliber gyro-stabilized high-pressure, low-recoil gun equipped with a thermal sleeve and an integrated fume extractor, with 14 ready rounds in the turret and another 26 rounds in the hull. The gun can fire standard NATO ammunition, including APFSDS (Armour Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot) rounds.Secondary weapons are a 7.62 mm coaxial
Coaxial
In geometry, coaxial means that two or more forms share a common axis; it is the three-dimensional linear analogue of concentric.Coaxial cable, as a common example, has a wire conductor in the centre a circumferential outer conductor and an insulating medium called the dielectric separating...
machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
, and another 7.62 mm anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
machine gun with 4,000 rounds of ammunition.
Aiming is provided by Galileo Avionica TURMS fire control system (the same fitted to the Italian Ariete
Ariete
The C1 Ariete is the main battle tank of the Italian Army, developed by a consortium formed by Iveco-Fiat and Oto Melara . The chassis and engine were produced by Iveco, while the turret and fire-control system were produced by Oto Melara...
tank) and is equipped with a muzzle referencing system and a fully digital ballistic computer. The gunner sight is fully stabilized and comes equipped with a thermal imager and laser rangefinder. The commander's station is equipped with a panoramic stabilized sight, an image intensifying night sight and a monitor displaying the image from the gunner's thermal sight. This allows Centauro to engage targets while stationary or on the move against stationary or moving targets day or night.
Armour
The Centauro hull is an all-welded steel armoured hull which is designed to withstand in the baseline configuration 14.5 mm bullets and shell fragments with protection against 25 mm munition on the frontal section. Protection can be increased by the addition of bolt on appliqué armour which increases protection against 30 mm rounds.The Centauro is also equipped with an NBC (Nuclear, Chemical and Biological) warfare protection system which is integrated with the vehicle's air conditioning system. The vehicle is also equipped with a four-barreled smoke grenade launcher mounted on each side of the turret and a laser warning receiver.
Propulsion
Centauro is powered by an Iveco V6 turbo-charged after-cooled diesel engine delivering 512 hp (382.2 kW). This drives a ZFZF Friedrichshafen
ZF Friedrichshafen AG, also known as ZF Group, and commonly abbreviated to ZF, is a German public company headquartered in Friedrichshafen, in the south-west German region of Baden-Württemberg....
-designed automatic transmission
Transmission system
In telecommunications a transmission system is a system that transmits a signal from one place to another. The signal can be an electrical, optical or radio signal....
which is manufactured under license by Iveco Fiat. The transmission system has five forward and two reverse gears. This drives 8 wheels which are each equipped with an independent suspension system and is furthermore equipped with run-flat inserts and a Central Tyre Inflation System (CTIS). Braking is provided by 8 disc brakes. Steering is provided on the first and second axles and at slow speed with also the fourth axle. Together, this allows Centauro to achieve road speeds in excess of 100 km/h, negotiate gradients up to 60%, ford water up to a depth of 1.5m without preparation, and have a turning radius of 9m.
Combat history
Centauro was deployed in the former YugoslaviaYugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, where the design proved successful. Centauro was usually used to escort motor convoys, for wide area control and for road patrols. Centauros were also deployed during operation Antica Babilonia, the Italian involvement in the Iraq War. During this operation, a Centauro troop took part in the battle for the bridges of Nassiriya, destroying a building with enemy snipers inside. It is currently deployed as part of UNIFIL forces in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
Variants
- Centauro Reconnaissance Anti-Tank Variant:
- The baseline variant.
- Centauro 120 mm
- A Centauro with a low recoil 120/45 cannon, in newly designed turret and with new composite armour that can resist up to 40mm APFSDS rounds on the front.
- VBM Freccia (Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle)
- This Centauro up-armoured and revised variant is fitted with the Hitfist Plus turret (an evolution of that used on the Dardo IFVDardo IFVThe Dardo is a infantry fighting vehicle designed for the Italian Army as a replacement for the M113 APC. It is designed and built by the Iveco Fiat Oto Melara Syndicated Company based in Rome...
), which is armed with the OerlikonOerlikon ContravesRheinmetall Air Defence AG is a division of German armament manufacturer Rheinmetall, created when the company's Oerlikon Contraves unit was renamed on 1 January 2009 and integrated with Rheinmetall's other air-defence products...
KBA 25mm25 mm caliberThe 25x137 mm caliber/.98425 inch is one of the standard sizes of cannon and autocannon ammunition for NATO forces. The round itself has a length of approximately 223 mm .-Usage:...
automatic cannon and carries 200 rounds of 25mm ammunition. Two 7.62mm7.62×51mm NATOThe 7.62×51mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the 1950s as a standard for small arms among NATO countries...
NATO machine guns are also fitted. The vehicle can be further armed with a pair of Spike ML/LRSpike (missile)Spike is a fourth generation man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile with tandem-charged HEAT warhead, developed and designed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and in service with a number of nations....
anti-tank missiles, and eight 80mm smoke grenade launchers. The fire control system is the same as for the reconnaissance / anti-tank version. This variant is crewed by a crew of three which consists of a gunner, driver and commander, and can further carry an additional eight combat-ready troops. 249 units of the different types have been ordered by Italian government in 2006.
Italian army ordered a prototype of the 120mm variant, with improved armour. The first trials are expected in 2012.
An early prototype, armed with a 155x39 gun, is seen at the national Italian holiday of 2nd of June ( 2011).
A known AAA and c-ram prototype version, called " Draco", is armed with a 76mm automatic cannon, and with Strales directional ammunition system.
Comparison with contemporary vehicles
| Fahd-280-30 | BTR-3U BTR-3 The BTR-3 is an 8×8-wheeled armored personnel carrier was designed by Adcom Manufacturing from UAE in 2000/2001 and manufactured by KMDB in Ukraine. The most significant of exports was to the Myanmar Army which acquired 1,000 BTR-3Us, to be assembled in Myanmar... |
VBCI Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie The Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie is a French Infantry fighting vehicle designed to replace the AMX-10P. They joined active service in 2008, with 630 vehicles ordered up to 2010... |
LAV-25 | Type-92 IFV WZ551 The WZ551 is a Chinese wheeled armored personnel carrier. It is actually consisted of two families of vehicles with official designations in the People's Liberation Army as Type 90 and Type 92. Roughly 600 WZ551s are in service with the PLA, where they are used by light mechanized infantry units... |
BTR-90 BTR-90 BTR-90 is an 8×8 wheeled armoured personnel carrier developed in Russia, designed in 1993 and first shown publicly in 1994. It is a larger version of the BTR-80 vehicle, fitted with a BMP-2 turret... |
VBM Freccia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... |
Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... |
France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... |
Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
| Weight | 10.9 MT (12 ST) | 16.4 MT (18.1 ST) | 26 MT (28.7 ST) | 12.8 MT (14.1 ST) | 12.5 MT (13.8 ST) | 20.9 MT (23 ST) | 26 MT (28.7 ST) |
| Main armament | 30 mm (1.2 in) 2A42 30 mm automatic cannon 2A42 The 30 mm automatic cannon 2A42, also known as the Shipunov 2A42, is a Soviet/Russian 30 mm automatic cannon. It is built by the Tulamashzavod Joint Stock Company.-Design:... automatic cannon |
30 mm (1.2 in) Dual-feed cannon | 25 mm (0.984251968503937 in) NATO dual feed cannon | 25 mm (0.984251968503937 in) M242 M242 Bushmaster The M242 Bushmaster is a 25 mm chain-fed autocannon. It is used extensively by the US armed forces, as well as by NATO's and some other nations' forces in ground combat vehicles and watercraft... chain gun |
30 mm (1.2 in) Auto cannon http://www.sinodefence.com/army/armour/zsl92.asp | 30 mm (1.2 in) 2A42 30 mm automatic cannon 2A42 The 30 mm automatic cannon 2A42, also known as the Shipunov 2A42, is a Soviet/Russian 30 mm automatic cannon. It is built by the Tulamashzavod Joint Stock Company.-Design:... automatic cannon |
25 mm (0.984251968503937 in) Oerlikon KBA |
| Secondary armament | 7.62 mm (0.3 in) FN MAG FN MAG The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the... machine gun |
7.62 mm (0.3 in) coax machine gun | 7.62 mm (0.3 in) coax machine gun | 7.62 mm (0.3 in) M240 M240 The M240, officially Machine Gun, 7.62mm, M240, is the US military designation for the FN MAG , a family of belt-fed, gas-operated medium machine guns firing the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge.The M240 has been used by the United States Armed Forces since the mid-1980s... machine gun |
7.62 mm (0.3 in) coax machine gun | 7.62 mm (0.3 in) PKT machine gun | 7.62 mm (0.3 in) coax machine gun |
| Missile (Range) | AT-5 Spandrel (70–4000 meters) | AT-5 Spandrel (70–4000 meters) | - | - | - | AT-5 Spandrel (70–4000 meters) | Spike LR Spike (missile) Spike is a fourth generation man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile with tandem-charged HEAT warhead, developed and designed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and in service with a number of nations.... (200-4000 meters) |
| Road range | 700 km (435 mi) | 600 km (372.8 mi) | 750 km (466 mi) | 660 km (410.1 mi) | 800 km (497.1 mi) | 800 km (497.1 mi) | 800 km (497.1 mi) |
| Road speed | 100 km/h (62.1 mph) | 85 km/h (52.8 mph) | 100 km/h (62.1 mph) | 100 km/h (62.1 mph) | 85 km/h (52.8 mph) | 100 km/h (62.1 mph) | 110 km/h (68.4 mph) |
| Capacity | 3 crew + 10 passengers | 3 crew + 6 passengers | 2 crew + 9 passengers | 3 crew + 6 passengers (only 4 armed soldiers) | 3 crew + 9 passengers | 3 crew + 9 passengers | 3 crew + 8 passengers |
Operators
:- 400 Centauro Reconnaissance Anti-Tank Variant (around 100 vehicles from the first batches retired)
- 249 VBM Freccia (172 standard, 36 combat anti-tank, 20 command center and 21 mortar carrier on order)
- 4 VBM Freccia Ambulance Variant
:
- 84 Centauro Reconnaissance Anti-Tank Variant
- 4 VBM Freccia Recovery Variant
:
- 6+3 Centauro 120 mm Variant (option for further 24)
:
- Leased 16 Centauros between 2000 and 2002 for evaluation, and to gain experience for the introduction of the StrykerStrykerThe IAV Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled, 4-wheel-drive , armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III and produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, in use by the United States Army. The vehicle is named for two American servicemen who posthumously received the Medal of Honor:...
Mobile Gun System.
See also
- AMX 10 RCAMX 10 RCThe AMX-10RC is a wheeled recon vehicle and tank destroyer built by GIAT. Over 300 are in service in the French Army. 120 additional vehicles were sold to Morocco and Qatar ....
- Pandur 8X8 APCPandur 8X8 APCThe Pandur II 8x8 is an improved modular all-wheel-drive version of the Pandur 6x6 APC wheeled armoured vehicle. It was developed as a private venture by the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge and is currently in production for the Portuguese Armed Forces...
- Pandur 6x6 APC
- LAV 600
- MOWAG Piranha family tree
- Mowag PiranhaMowag PiranhaThe MOWAG Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss MOWAG , corporation....
- LAV IIILAV IIIThe LAV III armoured vehicle is the latest in the Generation III Light Armoured Vehicle series built by General Dynamics Land Systems, entering service in 1999. It is based on the Swiss MOWAG Piranha IIIH 8x8....
- StrykerStrykerThe IAV Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled, 4-wheel-drive , armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III and produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, in use by the United States Army. The vehicle is named for two American servicemen who posthumously received the Medal of Honor:...
- NZLAVNZLAVThe NZLAV armoured fighting vehicle is a variant of the General Dynamics LAV III which itself is a variant of the MOWAG Piranha IIIH 8x8. The New Zealand army purchased 105 vehicles in 2003. It was developed by Canada and is the primary armoured vehicle of the New Zealand military...
- Mobile Gun System
- ASLAVASLAVThe Australian Service Light Armoured Vehicle , is an Australian version of the Light Armoured Vehicle designed and manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada for the U.S. Marines. The initial design was the MOWAG Piranha 8x8, however the vehicle was re-designed to meet North American...
- LAV-25
- BTR-80BTR-80BTR-80 is an 8x8 wheeled armoured personnel carrier designed in the Soviet Union. Production started in 1986 and replaced the previous versions, BTR-60 and BTR-70 in the Soviet army. -Description:The Soviets based the BTR-80 on the BTR-70 APC...
- BTR-90BTR-90BTR-90 is an 8×8 wheeled armoured personnel carrier developed in Russia, designed in 1993 and first shown publicly in 1994. It is a larger version of the BTR-80 vehicle, fitted with a BMP-2 turret...
- Patria Pasi aka Sisu Pasi
- Patria AMV
- KTO RosomakKTO RosomakThe KTO Rosomak is 8x8 multi-role military vehicle produced by...
- Pindad PanserPindad PanserThe Anoa is a 6x6 armoured personnel carrier developed by PT Pindad of Indonesia. The vehicle is named after the Anoa, which is a type of buffalo indigenous to Indonesia...