The Iveco-Oto Melara Consortium (CIO) is once again present at Eurosatory in Paris from Monday 16th to Friday 20th June 2014.

The exhibition gives CIO the opportunity to display the latest and most innovative achievements in the field of armoured vehicles.

The Centauro VBM Mortar Carrier shares the characteristics of mobility and versatility typical of the Centauro family. The vehicular mounted version of the 120 mm rifled bore mortar fitted in its platform offers many advantages in terms of firing range, mobility and operational speed.

The vehicle with its weapon system on board can be deployed rapidly in complex security conditions thus providing effective support to combat units.

The Centauro VBM Freccia Explorer is one of the special versions of the well-known VBM Freccia Combat presently deployed in Afghanistan. This variant combines a hull especially designed to ensure the maximum crew survivability with the Hitfist 25 mm combat turret fitted with the Janus Panoramic Sight, the Horus UAV Launchers, the TRP2 UGV and the Lyra Radar.

The Iveco-Oto Melara Consortium is also exhibiting the VBA, an amphibious armoured vehicle developed to match the requirements of the new Italian Amphibious Brigade. It is the combination of the SUPERAV of Iveco D.V. and the HITFIST OWS weapon station turret of OTO Melara. With outstanding mobility on land and in the water and air transportability in a C130, the VBA provides an optimum blend of tactical, operational and strategic mobility. Its HITFIST OWS weapon station incorporates the latest technologies in the fields of electronics, signature and Man Machine Interface (MMI) with outstanding performances in terms of efficacy, survivability and fightability. It is the only vehicle in the world able to float totally protected.

The Iveco-Oto Melara Consortium, CIO in short, was established in 1985 on equal participation between Iveco and OTO Melara. Within the Consortium, Iveco Defence Vehicles is responsible for engines, gears and all the automotive components, the hull and the final integration of wheeled armoured vehicles while OTO Melara is responsible for weapon systems, sight and fire control systems and the hull and the final integration of tracked armoured vehicles. Both companies have excellent skills in the field of protection against direct fire, mines and IEDs.