With the power of fire it is equal to the primary tanks, and thanks to the wheel chassis, it is importantly superior to mobility and velocity of movement in urban and mountainous areas. At the Eurosatory Paris fair, the Italian consortium Società CIO presented the latest version of the Centauro fire support car designated Centauro II 3.0.
In the early 1980s, the Italian army faced a dilemma, what to do with outdated primary tanks M47 Pattonwhich decades earlier had been bought from Americans. The Italians decided that they wanted to have a fresh base tank (hence the decision to make C-1 Ariete), at the same time they considered that in the battlefield a large condition of the Pattons should replace a completely different plan – based on the chassis of the wheeled transporter armored Centauro fire support wagon.
Centauro takes shape
Its improvement was entrusted to Società CIO consortium, which formed the Italian companies Iveco and OTO Melara. The effect of investigation and improvement was presented in 1987. The vehicle called B1 Centauro was powered by a 520 hp engine, reached a maximum velocity of about 105 km/h and weighed about 25 t. The B1 Centauro was a furrowed 105 mm cannon and outside it, in the Hitfact LRF turret, 2 7.62 mm device guns were installed.
The vehicle entered service in 1991. The Italian army was so pleased with it that it decided to order a full of nearly 400 B1 Centauro copies. Furthermore, she besides ordered the transportation of freightia IFV infantry transporters based on this construction (nearly 300 were contracted) and self-propelled anti-aircraft kits SR Draco.
On this year's Eurosatory Defence Fair in Paris Società CIO presented the latest version of B1 Centauri.
Incidentally, Italian companies liked the Paris fair to advance their fire support car. In 2016, Eurosators premiered the Centauri II model, which replaced the first generation of these vehicles. 2 years later, the producers presented an improved model in Paris – Centauri II 2.0, and this year a version designated Centauri II 3.0.
What changed?
Comparing B1 Centauro with Centauri II 3.0, at first glance you can see that the car is importantly larger than the original. If this is simply a tiny difference in dimension (from 7.85 m to 8.26 m), so far as vehicle weight is concerned, the increase is high. The 3.0 model weighs more than 30 t, so it is heavier by 5 t than the B1 model. Italian designers, however, made certain that this did not translate negatively into vehicle performance. Thanks to the usage of a stronger engine (with a power of 705 hp), the car reaches a maximum velocity of 105 km/h, and without fuel replenishment it can over 800 km.
Centauro II 3.0 is armed with a smooth-bore 120 mm cannon that is adapted to fire programmable ammunition. It is worth noting that this is the biggest modification compared to the Centauri 2.0 model. The fresh version of the vehicle is equipped with an advanced strategy for disrupting improvised explosive detonators (RCED – Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Device) and an active protection strategy (ASOP) against anti-tank missiles.
The Italian fire-support wagons of Centauri enjoy large interest from the army around the world. After the first generation of these vehicles reached, among others, Spain, Jordan and Oman. Brazil decided 2 years ago to buy second generation cars.
