Leonardo has offered Brazil to install a production plant for the Hitfact MkII turret with which the Centauro II armored vehicles will be equipped, in case the proposal of the CIO Consortium – owned in equal parts by Iveco Defence Vehicles (IDV) and the Italian firm – is selected by the Brazilian Army as its future 8×8 combat vehicle.
The company explained to InfoDefensa that, in the first phase, the new facilities would be mainly destined for the assembly of all the components that make up the tower, which are manufactured in Italy, so it is not ruled out that in the future, some of the equipment that makes up the Hitfact MkII could be produced.
Leonardo’s proposal shows that the Italian industry is determined to win this juicy contract for up to 98 vehicles.
For its part, IDV is also studying the possibility of having a new infrastructure in the south of Brazil, as confirmed to this media from the company, to meet the Army’s requirement to install a logistic support plant for the 8×8 armored vehicles.
Leonardo is not only interested in the contract for the new tanks in Brazil but also has its sights set on the modernization program for the Leopard 1A BR of the South American country, for which it has also offered the Hitfact MkII turret.
Thus, the offer of local development of the turret takes on greater relevance.
THE HITFACT MKII TURRET
The Hitfact MkII turret is North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) qualified and is in continuous production, representing the ultimate in terms of firepower, connectivity, and survivability.
The newest model in the Hitfact family, with more than 500 units in service with Armed Forces around the world, stands out for its fully digital optronic sensor suite, enhanced survivability, and electric turret drives, which offer high levels of safety and performance.
The Hitfact MkII is operated by two or three men and uses an ammunition loading system according to the user’s needs (the Brazilian Army opted for the manual system).
The turret receives, in addition to the main 120/45 mm or 105/52 mm armament, auxiliary armament in the form of a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun or traditional hand-operated weapons in 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm caliber so that if the Brazilian Army decided to integrate the Remax 4, from the local firm Ares, it could be done with complete ease.
The armament is complemented by eight smoke grenade launchers capable of protecting against laser sensors and infrared trackers day and night.
NATO standard ammunition, according to Stanag 4385 and Stanag 4458, is stored in explosion-proof compartments separate from the crew and employs a loading system that can be manual or automatic.
With information from InfoDefensa