Centauro (Tank destroyer)
| Centauro | |
|---|---|
An Italian Army Centauro during a patrol in Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of IFOR during 1996 | |
| Type | Wheeled tank destroyer |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1991–present |
| Used by | See Operators below |
| Wars | United Nations Operation in Somalia II Implementation Force Kosovo Force Iraq War UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1986 |
| Manufacturer | Iveco Fiat (hull, propulsion) Oto Melara (weapons, turrets) |
| Unit cost | €1.6 million |
| Produced | 1991–2006 (Centauro) 2021–present (Centauro 2) |
| No. built | 490+ (plus 249 Freccia) |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 24 t (24 long tons; 26 short tons) |
| Length | 7.85 m (25 ft 9 in) |
| Width | 2.94 m (9 ft 8 in) |
| Height | 2.73 m (8 ft 11 in) |
| Crew | 4 (commander, gunner, loader and driver) |
| Armor | Welded steel armoured hull |
Main armament | Oto Melara 105 mm/52 rifled gun (Centauro) Oto Melara 120mm /45 smoothbore gun (Centauro 2) |
Secondary armament | 2×7.62 mm MGs |
| Engine | IVECO, V6 turbo-Diesel 520 hp (382 kW) |
| Power/weight | 19.35 hp/tonne |
| Payload capacity | 350 kg (770 lb) |
| Transmission | Hydropneumatic automatic transmission with 5 forward and 2 reverse gears 8x8 wheels |
| Suspension | independent MacPherson struts |
Operational range | 800 km (500 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 108 km/h (67 mph) |
The Centauro is a family of Italian military vehicles originating from a wheeled tank destroyer for light to medium territorial defense and tactical reconnaissance. It was developed by a consortium of manufacturers, the Società Consortile Iveco Fiat - OTO Melara (CIO). Iveco Fiat was tasked with developing the hull and propulsion systems while Oto Melara was responsible for developing the turrets and weapon systems.
Over the years, the Centauro platform has been developed into multiple variants to fulfill other combat roles, such as infantry fighting vehicle or self-propelled howitzer.