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Italy makes rush order for vehicle gunner protection
September 8th, 2009 | DSEI 2009 | Posted by Tom Kington
The Italian government has ordered around 60 protective guards for vehicle gunners following the death of a gunner in Afghanistan in July, an industrial official said on Tuesday.
Italian vehicle firm Iveco was contracted in August to provide the guards which it will deliver from September onwards for mounting on the Light Multirole Vehicles it supplies to the Italian military.
The systems comprise a ring mount to be placed on the roof hatch of the vehicle, an electric motor to turn it and a cylinder of composite material to give protection to the soldier manning the roof gun, said Flavio Marchesoni, Iveco Defence Vehicles sales and marketing manager.
Italian soldiers have praised their LMV vehicles, dubbed Lince in Italy, for protecting them from IED attacks, although exposed gunners have fared badly when vehicles overturn.
The contract appears to be a stop gap measure as the Italian ministry of defense has previously opened a competition to equip Italy’s Lince vehicles with remotely controlled gun turrets which avoid the need to expose a soldier.
Speaking at the DSEi 2009 show in London, Marchesoni said that Iveco would also deliver 30 Lince vehicles to Italy next year designed to carry the Israeli Spike anti-tank missile, which Italy has purchased.
He also confirmed that Iveco was interested in competing in the UK’s new Light Protected Patrol Vehicle program. “We may pitch a variant on the LMV, albeit wider, longer and heavier, while still less than eight tonnes,” he said.