On January 22, the 82nd Infantry Regiment “Torino” of the mechanized brigade “Pinerolo” of the Italian army, stationed in Barletta, received the first 12 light tactical armored vehicles LMV 2 NEC manufactured by Iveco Defense Vehicles. The vehicles were delivered under a contract issued by the Italian Ministry of Defense in 2017 for the first 34 serial LMV 2s worth 53 million euros and made in the NEC (Networked Enabled Capability) configuration under the Forza NEC program with new network-centric control systems at the squad, platoon and company levels. The first vehicles under this contract were delivered to the Italian Ministry of Defense back in November 2018.
Iveco LMV (Light Multirole Vehicle) is a 4WD tactical vehicle developed by Iveco, and in service with several countries. After its adoption by the Italian Army under the name VTLM Lince (Lynx)(Veicolo-Tattico-Leggero-Multiruolo/Light-Tactical-Multirole-Vehicle) it won the FCLV (Future Command and Liaison Vehicle) competition of the British Army as the Panther, but the fleet was put up for sale in 2018. It has been adopted by the armies of Albania, Austria, Belgium, Norway, Russia and Spain. The Italian Army took vehicles to both Afghanistan and Lebanon. In Afghanistan, Lince vehicles have saved passengers’ lives in several attacks with IEDs.
The LMV uses modular armour packs to adjust its level of protection to its mission requirements. In regards to mine protection, the vehicle’s ground clearance has been increased to 493 mm without increasing the overall height ; it also uses suspended seats of aeronautical derivation, v-hull under body, and a collapsible sandwich structure in the floor to deflect and absorb mine blasts. Its exhaust is piped through its C-pillars, and its turbocharger is located underneath the engine to reduce its thermal signature. Mobility is helped by a run-flat system, allowing the vehicle to move even with completely deflated tires. The LMV was designed in the 1990s and the first LMVs were produced in 2001.
The last evolution of LMV, the LMV2 launched at Eurosatory 2016, continues to expand the roles it can undertake, providing better performance, greater reliability, and increased crew comfort. The LMV 2 is designed to accommodate extensive GFE, including radios, BMS, intercom and Electronic Counter Measures (ECM). The vehicle is extremely well adaptable to being deployed as a mobile radio platform, by the nature of its outstanding Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) profile and can fulfill the most demanding DEF-STAN and MIL-STD requirements. Sub-system integration has also been greatly eased by the adoption of a new vehicle digitised electronic architecture and an improved power supply.
