FEINDEF 2025 – CIO answers Spanish Tercio de Armada requirements with its Centauro II 120 mm armoured car
Already in service with the Italian Army, the Centauro II might soon be serving also with Spanish colours, should the Naval Infantry select the armoured car developed and manufactured by the CIO, the Iveco-Oto Melara Consortium which already provided the original Centauro to the Spanish Army
Since the early 1990s the Tank Company of Mechanised Amphibious Group belonging to the Spanish Naval Infantry Brigade deployed 17 M60A3 main battle tanks, which replaced the previous M48 Patton MBTs. These vehicles, armed with a 105 mm rifled gun, were dismissed in the 2010s, the Tercio de Armada being now with an effective direct fire support.
The Spanish Naval Infantry seems oriented to shift from tracks to wheels for its future direct fire support vehicle, and following the experience acquired by the Ejército de Tierra with the original version of the Centauro, 86 such vehicles being in service, has expressed an interest for the Centauro II, which is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore gun using the same ammunition in service with the Spanish Army Leopard 2E MBTs.
The program has not started yet, as it needs to be financed, but according to information gathered at FEINDEF there is a good chance that it will be financed next year. At the Madrid exhibition the CIO exhibited an example of the Centauro II on the IDV stand.
According to available information, the service needs the vehicles at short term, therefore the CIO is proposing this in the Italian Army configuration, providing the end user with the possibility to add government furnished equipment such as communication systems, battle management system and other subsystems. An option would be an agreement with the Italian Army, to allow the vehicles destined to Spain to be taken from the current production line aimed at the Esercito Italiano. Should the vehicle be selected, the CIO would certainly sign an agreement with a Spanish company to ensure local maintenance and logistic support.
The Infanteria de Marina needs 12 vehicles, and Spain would be the second export customer for the vehicle, as Brazil has accepted the first two vehicles and the first production contract for the first batch of seven vehicles is close to signature, the same being true foe second contract being aimed at the logistic support. The Exército Brasileiro has an overall need of 96 Centauro II, although the original operational requirement was for 221 vehicles.
Photos by P. Valpolini
