Astra HD 66.45/50/56

     Notes: This Italian-made heavy truck is primarily produced in civilian versions, but there are some military trucks being made, as well as a tractor-trailer.  It is otherwise a conventional truck, notable only for its exceptional cargo capacity. The three variants differ primarily in the engines they are powered by: the 66.45 uses a Cursor 13 turbocharged 450-horsepower diesel, the 66.50 is powered by 500-horsepower turbocharged diesel, and a 560-horsepower turbocharged diesel powers the 66.56. (Military versions are normally the 66.45.) The 66.45 uses a slightly different manual gearbox than the 66.50 and 66.56, but all three have 16 forward gears and two reverse gears.

     The two rear axles have locking differentials; a locking differential on the front axle is an options, but not standard. Another option is an air compressor (normally used to inflate tires). The rear tow hook is usually manual, but may be mechanized and automatic.  Behind the cab is a small space for equipment and a mount for a spare wheel and tire. Brakes and steering are power assisted.

     The cab is a standard cabover sort, with a suspension of its own to help smooth out rough roads and terrain.  It has an adjustable seat and steering wheel for the driver and a bench seat for the two cab passengers, and there is a space behind the cab, normally used for crew gear.

Astra HD6 84.45

     Notes: This is a DROPS (Demountable Rack Offload and Pickup System) truck, similar to the Foden 10-ton truck featured in the NATO Combat Vehicle Handbook in that it is designed primarily for the transport of containerized loads, and is ill suited for the transport of troops or non-containerized loads.  The crew rating below is for passengers simply climbing onto the flat cargo area. The vehicle has a load-handling system that can raise or lower a fully loaded container from or to the ground, up to 15 tons in weight; alternately, the Load Handling System (LHS) can possibly grab onto smaller containers or flatracks or pallets.  Generally, a container is issued with the truck, but trucks found on the battlefield may or may not have one. The HD6 84.45 needs 25 seconds to load a container onto its cargo bed, and can demount and lower to the ground a container in 33 seconds; this is the optimal rate of speed with a standard container and other cargo or containers may take longer or shorter times.

     The HD6 84.45 is powered by an IVECO 8280 TCA17 turbocharged diesel with 440 horsepower, coupled to the same transmission as the HD 66.45 above. The LHS operates using a PTO from the engine, and cannot load or demount containers while the truck is in motion.

IVECO/Fiat 6602 CM

     Notes: The 6602 is a medium 4x4 truck that is used by the Italian Army.  It is of cabover design, and the vehicle is all steel, except for the wood-lined floor of the cargo area.  The cab has a heater. The cab and cargo area have removable canvas covers, and the cargo area has a drop tailgate with swing-out steps.  The cab has a heater.  Along the sides of the cargo area are folding bench seats.  The rear of the 6602 has a 9200-kilogram-capacity winch with 60 meters of cable. Cross country, the 6602 CM can tow 4 tons, but on roads, it may tow 10 tons. The engine of the 6602 CM is a Model 8202.02 diesel with 193 horsepower available. The transmission is manual with five forward gears and one reverse gear. The suspension is 4x4.

     A tanker version of this vehicle is available; unfortunately, I do not have any RL data for it, and I can’t stat it out at this time.

IVECO/Fiat 6605

     Notes: The 6605 is a heavy 6x6 truck.  The 6605 A is the cargo truck version of the 6605 series.  The 6605 FH hauls the ammunition for the artillery piece towed by the 6605 TM.  The 6605 FH is equipped with a 3.7-ton cargo handling crane, normally used to load the 6605 FH with ammunition and unloading it for use by the towed gun of the 6605 TM. The 6605 TM is designed for use as an artillery tractor, with the 6605 TM towing the actual artillery piece and carrying the crew.  All may tow 15 tons on road and 6 tons off road.  The truck is of cabover design, with a canvas cab roof and cover for the cargo area; the 6605 FH and TM have greatly expanded cabs to carry gun crews. The cab has a heater and ventilator.  The sides of the cargo area consist of two boards on each side, with the front boards droppable and the rear boards fixed.  The tailgate may also be dropped.  The cargo space may be divided into three areas with removable partitions. Suspension for all is 6x6. The engine is a Model 8212.02 diesel developing 219 horsepower; this is coupled with a manual transmission with eight forward and two reverse gears.

     Italy, Libya, and Somalia use this vehicle.

IVECO/Fiat 6607 CM

    Notes: The 6607 is a medium 6x6 truck that is used by the Italian Army.  It is a development of the 6602 CM described above, and uses many components of that truck, but has a 6x6 suspension. The frame has a high degree of flexibility to help in off-road travel.  The vehicle is of cabover construction, and is all steel except for the wood-lined floor of the cargo area.  Both the cab and cargo area have a removable canvas cover, and the cab has a heater.  The rear of the vehicle has a 9200-kilogram-capacity winch with 60 meters of cable.  The cargo area has folding wooden benches along both sides, and a drop tailgate that is also removable. Cross country, the 6607 CM can tow 4 tons, but on roads, it may tow 10 tons. The engine of the 6607 CM is a Model 8202.02 diesel with 193 horsepower available. The transmission is manual with five forward gears and one reverse gear.

     Like the 6602 CM, the 6607 CM is lo longer in Italian service, with a drawdown starting in the mid-1990s until they were fully replaced.  They are, however, still in use by other countries, most notably Romania, and by civilian concerns throughout Europe.

IVECO Heavy Range

     Notes: This is a newer series of heavy tactical trucks by IVECO. As much as possible, the components are the same from truck to truck, with a high degree of parts commonality. In addition, the Heavy Range keeps as much commonality as possible with the Iveco Eurotrakker and Eurocargo ranges of (smaller) trucks.

     The cab is constructed of fiber-reinforced resin, and can be supplemented with an add-on armor kit.  The roof has a hatch over the commander’s seat, and this hatch has a ring mount for a light or medium machinegun.  These vehicles use similar engines, transmissions, and structural components, making manufacturing and maintenance as simple as possible.  Options include heating and air conditioning for the cab, a 10-ton capacity winch that can be led out from the front or rear. The engine for the 150.30 is a Euro III 9.5-liter turbocharged diesel developing 300 horsepower; for the 250.37 it is a Euro III 13.8-liter turbocharged diesel developing 370 horsepower; and for the 320.42 a Euro III 13.8-liter turbocharged diesel developing 420 horsepower. The transmission may be a manual ZF WSK 400 or a ZF 6 HP 800 automatic transmission. Towed load in all cases is 20 tons.