Leonardo Hispania – a Leonardo company with headquarters and plants in Loriguilla (Valencia), where all employees and suppliers are Spanish – is tendering for the supply of 58 30mm HITFIST ‘manned’ turrets, as part of the Spanish Army’s 8×8 VCR (VehÃculo de Combate de Ruedas) Dragón programme. Dragón has an estimated value of approximately €2.08 billion which provides for a first supply of 348 vehicles out of a total of approximately 1,000 vehicles ready for 2030. From this perspective, the award of the tender for the supply of HITFIST manned turrets would be a driver for the growth of the company and of the entire technological and employment chain connected to it: from production to maintenance and systems integration.
Leonardo HITFIST OWS can be easily installed on any tracked and wheeled vehicle, as no hull penetration is required, and it is ready to operate without any preparation. The main armament consists of a 25mm or 30mm cannon, electrically controlled for elevation, traversing and firing operations. As an option the main armament can be also completed by side mounting two anti-tank missile Iaunchers. A 7,62mm machine gun can be coaxially mounted besides the main cannon. HITFIST can be completely controlled by one crew member from a remote position, under armour protection, through a multifunction colour display and joysticks properly accommodated inside the vehicle. HITFIST digital FCS includes a CCD camera, an IR Camera, an eye safe LRF, meteo and vertical reference sensors suite.
Leonardo Hispania’s expertise in the field of turrets is certified by its product portfolio, with turrets like the HITFIST 25mm in service with the Italian Army, the HITFIST 30mm used by the Irish Army, the HITFACT 120mm by Oman, and HITROLE 12.7mm by Turkmenistan, Germany and Singapore. The HITFIST 30mm manned turret is combat-proven, having been integrated into different platforms, among which are the class of vehicles Piranha III, FRECCIA and 8×8 Patria. Leonardo’s HITFIST system is characterised by a high flexibility which allows it to support cannons up to 40mm in caliber. The turret has a crew of two specialists, the commander and the gunner. The human factor remains fundamental despite technological development, as it allows a better external environment assessment in theatres of action where tanks operate, ensuring more flexibility and speed of action.
The company, which currently has a supply chain of highly qualified hi-tech companies and over 500 employees across Spain, was founded in 2003 as OTO Melara Iberica for the production, integration, logistic support and after-sales assistance for the Centauro vehicle turret supplied to the Spanish Army. Over the years, Leonardo Hispania has developed considerable capabilities in manufacturing of technologically advanced defence systems, including manned medium-caliber turrets for armoured vehicles. The current name was adopted in 2018 and the company is now a sector leader and reference point for parent company Leonardo in the Iberian Peninsula, in support of the entire product portfolio of Leonardo in many operating segments: helicopter, aeronautics, cybersecurity, defence electronics and weapon systems.
