ASA Guardian

Notes: This is a light APC in use by Italy and some Middle Eastern countries. It is primarily designed for antiriot and police SRT use. It is basically a stretched and armored version of the Fiat Campagnola light vehicle (see Italian Unarmored Vehicles) with a more powerful engine, armored body, and various accouterments to equip it for its role. There are doors on either side of the cab, a hatch in the center of the roof (usually without a weapon mount), and one in the rear with a spare tire attached. Standard equipment includes air conditioning, flashers and sirens, a winch with a capacity of 3 tons and 60 meters of cable, an air compressor, and bullet resistant tires and windows. There is one firing port in each door of the cab, one on each side of the passenger compartment, and one on the left side of the rear.

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

$2,860

G, A

495 kg

2.73 tons

2+4

4

Headlights

Enclosed

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

246/148

50/30

57

29

Stnd

W(3)

HF2 HS2 HR2

Centauro VBC

Notes: This is an eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier that is used by the Italian Army. It is based on the Centaur B1 tank destroyer vehicle (q.v.), but has a smaller turret, armed with an autocannon. A second variant has the same turret as the Dardo APC. The driver sits on the front left of the vehicle, and the turret is in the center of the vehicle. The troops sit in the rear of the vehicle, three to a side, facing each other. There is a large power ramp in the rear for troop access, but there is also a door in this ramp. There are two firing ports on each side of the VBC.

Vehicle

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

VBC

$190,176

D, A

1.4 tons

24 tons

3+6

7

Passive IR

Shielded

VBC HITFIST

$240,654

D, A

1.1 tons

24 tons

3+6

8

Passive IR

Shielded

Vehicle

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

VBC

168/101

35/20

540

159

Trtd

W(8)

TF6 TS6 TR5 HF14Sp HS9Sp HR7

VBC HITFIST

168/101

35/20

540

159

Trtd

W(8)

TF13 TS5 TR3 HF14Sp HS9Sp HR7

Vehicle

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

VBC

+2

Good

25mm KBA Autocannon, MAG

900x25mm, 2000x7.62mm

VBC HITFIST

+2

Good

25mm KBA Autocannon, MAG, 2xTOW II Launchers

900x25mm, 2000x7.62mm, 7xTOW II ATGM

Fiat 6614

Notes: This is a light wheeled APC built by Italy and used by that country and Argentina, South Korea, Peru, Somalia, Tunisia, and Venezuela. The driver is to the front left, the commander in the center of the vehicle, and the troops to the rear. The vehicle has a front-mounted winch with a capacity of 10 tons. In most countries, the 6614 are used to transport scout teams.

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

$30,216

D, A

1.2 tons

8.5 tons

2+9

3

Passive IR

Enclosed

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

165/99

35/20/4

142

58

Stnd

W(2)

HF6 HS2 HR2

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

None

None

M-2HB (C)

1000x.50

MAV-4

Notes: The Boneschi MAV-4 is a light armored vehicle used by the Italians as a command post carrier in their light formations. It is basically a Fiat 80.17 truck chassis fitted with a steel armored body. All windows and vision blocks are made of bullet-resistant glass. The driver is in the front of the vehicle with the commander to his right, with windows to their front and sides. The commander has a firing port below the front windscreen. Twelve troop seats are behind them, seven on the left and five on the right. There are five doors, one each for the driver and commander, and one on each side behind the driver and commander, as well as one in the rear. There is a hatch in the roof that is meant as an emergency exit.

Other equipment includes air conditioning, four firing ports on each side, ceiling lights, and a siren. In addition, the MAV-4 has fire resistant paint and a firefighting system that allows the MAV-4 to put out fires directly ahead of the vehicle. Extra radios and land navigation equipment complete the vehicle.

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

$46,439

D, A

2.05 tons

9.5 tons

2+12

6

Headlights

Enclosed

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

131/78

30/20

130

47

Stnd

W(3)

HF2 HS2 HR2

MAV-5

Notes: Another light armor vehicle by Boneschi, the MAV-5 is used by the Italian Carabineri, and by Italian Army units in UN peacekeeping roles. It is basically an IVECO 40.10 4x4 truck chassis with a new steel armored body. All windows and vision blocks are of bullet-resistant glass. The driver is at the front of the vehicle on the left, with the commander to his right. They have windows to their front and side. The troops are seated on swiveling seats; just ahead of them on each side is a door, and they each have firing ports on the sides of the vehicle. In addition, there are two firing ports to the rear, where there is also a door. The engine is at the front of the vehicle, and the whole vehicle looks like an armored van. The MAV-5 has ceiling lights, air conditioning, and a tear gas filtering system. A pintle mount for a MAG is on the roof just behind the driver.

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

$10,446

D, A

600 kg

4.45 tons

2+4

2

Headlights

Enclosed

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

199/119

40/25

75

37

Stnd

W(2)

HF2 HS2 HR2

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

None

None

MAG (C)

1000x7.62mm

Puma

Notes: This is a light armored personnel carrier that comes in two sizes, a 4x4 version and a 6x6 version. It was made for the Italian Army, who wanted a light wheeled APC to operate with its Centauro B1 vehicles. The Puma was first seen in combat against the Germans in early 1998.

The driver sits in the front of the vehicle on the left, and is separated from the rest of the vehicle by a bulkhead. The engine is in front of the vehicle. The troops sit in the rear of the vehicle, and on the roof above them is a large hatch with a pintle mount for the commander. There is a door in the rear for access to the troop compartment, and another door on each side. Each of these doors has a vision block and firing port. On each side of the vehicle are three smoke grenade launchers.

While the 4x4 version is a light APC and scout vehicle, a number of versions of the 6x6 vehicle exist, such as ATGM, mortar, and command post.

Vehicle

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

4x4

$29,711

D, A

950 kg

5.7 tons

2+5

2

Passive IR

Shielded

6x6

$30,441

D, A

1.2 tons

7.5 tons

2+7

2

Passive IR

Shielded

Vehicle

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

4x4

269/162

55/30

150

67

Stnd

W(2)

HF4 HS2 HR2

6x6

214/128

45/25

270

67

Stnd

W(3)

HF6 HS3 HR2

Vehicle

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

(Both)

None

None

MAG (C) or M-2HB (C)

2000x7.62mm or 1200x.50