The Italian Army last July ordered only an initial batch of 10 Centauro 2 wheeled tank destroyers, out of a planned requirement for 147, but the new €7.2 billion fund announced yesterday earmarks €740m for the next 64 vehicles. (IT Army photo)
The new funds were, surprisingly, announced during a roundtable meeting at the Ministry of Economic Development called to rescue Iveco Defence Vehicles, a private company which is one of Italy’s major manufacturers of military vehicles.
The additional funding will notably allow the Italian Army to order the VBM Freccia 8x8 infantry combat vehicle and the Centauro II 8x8 tank destroyer, and thereby ensure the financial stability of Iveco Defense Vehicles, which manufactures both vehicles through a joint venture with OTO-Melara.
These two programs will receive €2.2 billion over the next 12 years, funding the production of 156 VBM and 64 Centauro 2s, at a cost of €1.5 billion and €740 million respectively. These prices include integrated logistic support.
The new funds will be in addition to the annual defense budgets voted by Parliament. Italy has traditionally budgeted relatively low annual budgets for equipment procurement, while financing large acquisitions through special, multiyear funds paid by several government departments.
"MiSE confirms its full support for the Ministry of Defense's work on investments in the country’s strategic realities, and effectively renews its commitment to define an industrial policy capable of ensuring the competitiveness and growth of the entire Italian productive fabric,” said Carmine America, advisor for security and international relations to Luigi Di Maio, Minister of Economic Development and Deputy Prime Minister.
Yesterday’s agreement was unexpected because of continuing infighting on defense spending between Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio and defense minister Elisabetta Trenta, both members of the Five Star party, and their political opponent and coalition partner, Lega chief Matteo Salvini, the other Deputy Prime Minister.
Five Stars prefer spending on social programs rather than on defense, and had notably promised they would cut spending on the F-35 fighter program, while Salvini supports both the F-35 and military spending, and the technology, employment and tax benefits that come with them.
It is not yet clear what level of funding will be retained for the F-35 program, on which Italy has been dragging its feet since the present government took office last July, but for military aircraft the defense fund approved yesterday only provides for the Mid-Life Update of the Tornado strike aircraft and of the Eurofighter, known as the F-2000 in Italian service.
The other programs that will be funded under today’s agreement include the M-345 jet trainer, for which Leonardo announced yesterday that it had received a €300 million order from the Italian Air Force; the Leonardo HH-101 Combat Search And Rescue helicopter; the major upgrade of the naval and ground variants of the FSAF air-defense system to the B1-NT standard, which will have a significant anti-missile capability.
Also due to be funded are the NH90 helicopter, the U212 NSF submarines, the Teseo Mk 2 anti-ship missile, but the details of funding for individual programs has not yet been released.
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The Minister of Defense, Elisabetta Trenta, said she was satisfied with the commitment made by the Government, and certain that this maneuver will allow both the effectiveness of the Armed Forces and the safeguarding of the economic interests of industry.
Among the programs to benefit from these new funds, two will benefit the Iveco Defense Vehicles - Oto Melara consortium: the VBM 8x8 "Freccia" and Blindo Centauro II.
This investment will allow the Armed Forces to pursue their modernization and equipment adaptation programs, while also allowing Iveco Defense Vehicles to surmount a latent crisis lasting several years, and safeguarding employment levels.
Funded programs include: Eurofighter F2000, Tornado MLU, M345, NH90, N-ESS, HH101, FREMM and FSAF / AAMS B1-NT, and the launch of the Cosmo-SkyMed 2nd generation program, the upgraded U212 NSF submarines, the SICOTE system for the Carabinieri and the Teseo Mk2 system.
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from Defense Aerospace - Press releases http://bit.ly/2F9t8QC
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