According to the First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Vladimir Popovkin, the Ministry of Defense is negotiating, and a protocol has already been signed with the Italian side on the delivery of two Frezzia infantry fighting vehicles (BMP) and two heavy combat vehicles Tsentauro to Russia for testing them.
In the future, it is possible to purchase small batches of these vehicles for the Ground Forces.
BM B1 "Centaur"
The Italian modern heavy armored car, often classified as a tank destroyer, was created by the Iveco FIAT Oto Melara concern by order of the Italian Army as a reconnaissance vehicle, also capable of fighting enemy armored vehicles. Serial production of "Centaur" was carried out from 1991 to 2006, a total of almost 500 units were produced, part of the equipment was received by Spain.
Designed to conduct reconnaissance, combat armored targets. The layout of the machine is made with a front-mounted engine compartment, which provides additional protection. The hull is welded from armor plates with large angles of inclination. Diesel engine six-cylinder V-shaped with a capacity of 520 liters. with. The fire control system includes an electronic ballistic computer, a combined (day and night) gunner's sight with a built-in laser rangefinder, a stabilized panoramic commander's trailer and sensors for firing conditions. The machine is equipped with a filtering unit and an automatic fire extinguishing system. For setting smoke screens, grenade launchers were mounted on the sides of the tower.
On a common base with him was created an infantry fighting vehicle "Freccia", which is in service with the Italian Army.
Basic performance characteristics
Reservations: the body of the machine is all-welded steel, provides protection against small arms fire and fragments of artillery shells (along the front arc - from shells of caliber up to 20 mm, and other projections - from 12.7 mm bullets);
Armament: 120-mm smoothbore cannon (BMTV with 105-mm cannon), two 7, 62-mm machine guns (coaxial and anti-aircraft), two quad grenade launchers for setting smoke screens. Ammunition: 40 artillery rounds, 1 400 machine-gun cartridges and 16 smoke grenades;
Crew - 4 people (the driver's seat is located in the front left, and the engine compartment is on the right, there are places in the tower: for the commander - on the left, the gunner - on the right and the loader - on the right in front of and below the gunner);
Wheel formula - 8x8;
Engine - IVEC0 FIAT MTCA V-6, diesel with TH, 520 hp. at 2300 rpm;
Max. highway speed - 105 km / h;
Cruising range - 800 km;
Fuel capacity - 540 l;
RKhBZ system - yes;
Overcoming obstacles: ford - 15m;
wall - 0.6 m;
ditch - 1, 2 m;
rise - 60%;
lateral slope - 30%;
Combat weight - 25,000 kg.
Infantry Fighting Vehicle "Frezcia"
Created by the Iveco FIAT Oto Melara concern. Developed on the basis of the Centaur armored car. The BMP received much more serious anti-explosive protection. The vehicle is also optimized for a crew and a troop of eight. The crew of the car is three people, two are in the tower and one is the driver. The vehicle's hull and turret are made of the latest material, consisting of layers of aluminum and ballistic steel, designed to provide a higher level of protection.
BMP "Frezcia" is equipped with a turbocharged diesel engine Iveco 6V 550hp. (405kW at 2300 rpm) and a five-speed gearbox. The maximum speed of the machine with maximum load is 110 km / h.
For the Italian army, 4 variants of the BMP have been ordered. The basic version of the BMP has a Hitfist turret, manufactured by Oto Melara, and a 25-mm KBA rapid-fire cannon, manufactured by Rheinmetall. Such an infantry fighting vehicle can carry a troop of 8 people. The anti-tank version of the vehicle with a turret additionally contains two Spike LR anti-tank missiles, manufactured by Rafael, and a modern optoelectronic surveillance system, manufactured by Selex Galileo Janus. The mortar version of the transporter is armed with a TDA 2R2M 120-mm semi-automatic rifled mortar, manufactured by Thales. The commander's version of the vehicle has a Hitrole turret armed with an Ota Melara 12.7 mm machine gun with remote control. The vehicle is also equipped with C4 systems (control, monitoring, communication and parameter calculation), which are an integral part of the army's centralized exchange network architecture. BMP Freccia is one of the first digital combat vehicles in the Italian army.
The front and lower armor of the Frezzy BMP can protect from 25mm to 30mm shells and 6kg of explosives in TNT equivalent. BMP Frezcia has a longer and narrower hull than the Centauro, and weighs 26 tons. The wheel formula of the machine is 8 × 8. All the wheels of the BMP are leading. It is also equipped with disc brakes on all eight wheels.
The main reason for the purchase of trial batches of Italian BMPs is apparently in the inertia of the Russian military-industrial complex, which has not created a new Russian BMP since the 1980s. The most "new Russian" BMP "- BMP-3, this combat vehicle began to be created in the early 1980s - the initial prototype of object 688 was presented in 1981.
