The Italian Light Multirole Vehicle

The Italian Light Multirole Vehicle – British Army 4×4 Panther Command Vehicle

The Italian Light Multirole Vehicle was developed by the Italian Firm IVECO Defence Vehicles. Its modular armour system, versatility to meet various roles and use of commercial trucking parts has made the LMV Italy’s most successfully exported military vehicle and is now in service with 11 countries, 2 of which build it under licence.

Protection

The vehicle is built of an unspecified alloy with modular armour packs, which allow the operating nation to either decrease or increase the ceramic inserts in the packs to meet future threats or mission role. This allows the vehicle to meet NATO’s STANAG 4569 (Protection Levels for Occupants of Logistic and Light Armoured Vehicles) from level’s 1 to 4 (5 being the highest).

This level of protect and its V-Shape hull almost bring the LMV up to an MRAP standard, outclassing other 4×4 vehicles in this section of the website.

The internal features of the cabin further reduce residual and secondary mine explosion effects on the crew. There are two adjustable anti-mine front seats (driver and commander) and up to three foldable anti-mine back seats. The seats are suspended and not fixed directly to the floor which avoids direct transmission of the shock-wave to the crew.

Firepower & Variants

The large internal volume allows the vehicle to meet a number of different roles, reconnaissance, APC, Anti-Tank hunter, ambulance, command and control, patrol vehicle and special Op’s missions.

The most common is patrol vehicle, which a lot of the operating nations use it for in Afghanistan (and has been used in other theatres such as Lebanon) where a traversable gun mount can carry 7.62mm & .50 cal MG’s.

Operators

The Italian Light Multirole Vehicle

Austria: 150
Belgium: Belgian Land Component 440
Bosnia: Armed Forces of Bosnia-Herzegovina 12 (leased)
Croatia: 94 (6 are ambulance version)
Czech Republic: 19
Italy: 1200 spread across the Italian Army, Italian Navy, is known locally as the “Lince”
Norway: 170
Russia: Licensed production under the designation “Rys” (Lynx). Russian state news agency TASS reported on 10 November 2014 358 had been built
Slovakia: 40
Spain: 185
United Kingdom: Local licensed production for the British Army, 401 Panther CLV now in service

Spec’s

Weight – Up to 6.5 tons
Length – 5.5m
Width – 2.05m
Height – 1.950m
Crew – 2 + 2 troops
Engine – IVECO F1D Common Rail EURO 3 182hp
Payload capacity – 1.2ton
Transmission – 6 speed automatic
Suspension – Independent, Double A-Arm
Ground clearance – 4.073m
Operational range – 500km
Top Road Speed – 130 km/h (81 mph)