Centauro
| Centauro | |
|---|---|
Centauro in Iraq |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader) |
| length | 7.85 m |
| width | 2.94 m |
| height | 2.73 m (tower top) |
| Dimensions | 28 tons |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | Protection against 14.5 mm to 25 mm bullets |
| Main armament | 1 × 105 mm Otobreda cannon (40 rounds) |
| Secondary armament | 1 × 7.62 mm MG (coaxial),
1 × 7.62 mm anti-aircraft machine gun (deck structure, a total of 4000 rounds of 7.62 mm caliber ) and smoke pots 2 × 4 |
| agility | |
| drive | IVECO V6 diesel engine with turbocharger 520 hp |
| suspension | Wheel suspension 8 × 8 |
| Top speed | 110 km / h (road) |
| Power / weight | 18.6 hp / ton |
| Range | 800 km |
The Centauro (dt. Centaur ) is an Italian 8 x 8 - Radpanzer .
development
The Centauro was developed in the 1980s by the IVECO - Fiat - Oto Melara consortium for the Italian army . After that time planning six very mobile, equipped exclusively with wheeled vehicles should brigades in north-western, central and southern Italy, among others, with 400 Centauros and armored transport vehicles of the type Puma be equipped and take over space defense tasks in these backward areas. In the 1990s, these plans were largely abandoned. With the acquired Centauros were cavalry regiments (armored reconnaissance battalions) equipped, the various brigades today are allocated and there Raumsicherungs- and reconnaissance tasks ( reconnaissance in force - RIF ) accepts. The vehicles have proven themselves in numerous peace missions abroad and are considered to be well suited for such missions. In the extended version B-1T (rear door) these tanks can carry a 4-man reconnaissance troop. In the meantime, the Centauro VBC armored personnel carrier version has also been developed; other versions are envisaged.
technology
Thanks to its 8 × 8 wheeled chassis, the Centauro has considerable off-road capabilities. The chassis allows trenches with a width of 1.20 m to be crossed. At the same time, a fording depth of 1.50 m is achieved. These off-road properties are also favored by the fact that the wheels are mounted in individual suspensions. The Centauro also has a central tire pressure control system . The 105 mm cannon developed by Otobreda is able to penetrate RHA at a combat range of 2000 m up to 700 mm using APFSDS projectiles . Aiming and distance determination are carried out using a laser aiming device and a coupled fire control computer . These were taken over by the Ariete main battle tank .
Versions
- Centauro B-1 : Standard version with 105 mm on-board cannon
- Centauro B-1T : extended hull for 4-man reconnaissance troops (150 of the Centauros of the Italian army are in this configuration)
- Centauro VBC : infantry fighting vehicle, 3 + 8 men, 25 mm on-board cannon (630 vehicles ordered: new designation for this version is Freccia )
- Centauro 2 : Version with 120 mm on-board cannon and improved armor (1 copy for testing purposes), is to replace the Centauro B-1 (T) in Italy
- Tank destroyer version with anti-tank missiles (1 copy for test purposes)
- 120 mm mortar carrier (1 copy for testing purposes)
- Command vehicle (2 copies for testing purposes)
- 155 mm self -propelled howitzer (planned)
- Armored recovery vehicle (planned)
In 2005, the Italian Army procured reactive armor kits for the B1 Centauros . The vehicles of the Spanish army were also equipped with additional armor.
Countries of operation
-
Italy
- 400 Centauro B1 (T) (of which about 240 are still in service)
-
Jordan
- 141 modernized B1 Centauro from stocks of the Italian army
-
Oman
- 6 Centauro (revised version with 120 mm L / 45 on-board cannon)
-
Spain
- 84 Centauro B1
See also
literature
- Philip Trewhitt: tanks. The most important combat vehicles in the world from World War I to the present day. Neuer Kaiserverlag, Klagenfurt 2005, ISBN 3-7043-3197-X , ( Worth knowing - Technology ).
