Of all the wheeled tank destroyers that occupy the agenda of modern armies today, the Centauro
is one of the most notable. The vehicle is an exemplary system in this field with its
development model and successful design. As the Weapon Detective, we are investigating
the B1 and B2 variants of the Centauro, the Italian style of modern cavalry.
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The Centauro is not the only example of its type, but it may be the most remarkable. The
vehicle is the product of the best synthesis of the French and South African experiences.
Its B2 variant is the most powerful wheeled tank destroyer. Before our analysis, let's
look at the history, design features, and operational use of the Centauro.
During the First Cold War, Italy did not share any border with the Warsaw Pact.
But, it was obvious that in a possible Third World War, the communist armies would eventually
pass over Austria and threaten the Italian soil.
Also, Yugoslavia and Albania would possibly join the USSR in the death of life war between
the communist and free world. So, the Italian Army concentrated its best-armoured
units in the north while its M47 Patton tanks were waiting to defend the Adriatic coast
against possible amphibious landings. They were also tasked to protect the rear
of the main elements of the Italian Army deployed near Gorizia against enemy airborne divisions.
But, they were now obsolete and slow. In 1984, the Italian Army required a new land
system to replace the M47s. In those years, the Soviet naval infantries
used the PT-76 light tanks and the T-55 main battle tanks, while the Soviet airborne divisions
used the BMD armoured vehicles. A 105mm gun and low ballistic protection would
be sufficient for such vehicles. The mobility was crucial for the Italian Army. Therefore,
a wheeled vehicle design would be more suitable. In the case of a surprise amphibious or airborne
attack, the Italian Army would quickly deploy its wheeled tank destroyers to the required
area. The aim was to gain time by countering and stopping the enemy's first attack.
After that, by using gained time, the army would deploy the tanks to the area for a counter-attack.
During the study phase, the Italians examined the French and South African experiences.
The South African National Defence Force had been using the wheeled tank destroyers for
the long-range raids in South West Africa and Angola. Using these valuable experiences,
the South Africans began to develop the Rooikat. The Rooikat was not a simply wheeled tank
destroyer and reconnaissance vehicle. It was a wheeled tank. The 76mm gun of the vehicle
was highly effective against most of the Soviet armour, including T-55 and T-62 tanks. The
Rooikat had better ballistic protection than the other wheeled tank destroyers of the time.
This 8x8 vehicle had a higher cross-country mobility than the 6x6 ones.
The AMX-10RC was not a wheeled tank, but the vehicle had proved itself in low-intensity
conflicts and tactical reconnaissance mission. So, its ballistic protection was relatively
weak. Different from the Rooikat, it had a 105mm gun, which was more effective against
the Soviet tanks from a longer range. So, the Italian engineers decided to use the
best features of the AMX-10RC and the Rooikat. This was a wise decision.
The programme management model was also wise. The Italian defence companies worked together,
not competed with each other. In this way, Italy has ensured the continuity of its national
defence industry. IVECO was the main contractor and developed
the hull and the automotive components. Oto Melara was responsible for the turret
and weapon system. Galileo Avionica developed electronic systems.
Besides the Centauro, these Italian defence companies developed three other vehicles,
the Ariete main battle tank, the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, and the Puma multirole light
armoured vehicles. All of them was sharing as many same sub-systems
as possible. So, design, development, unit, and life-cycle costs have been reduced significantly.
Of course, there was a disadvantage of this development model.
The Ariete and the Dardo are considered inferior to their modern counterparts.
Yet, the Centauro has become the best in its class.
Between 1987 and 1988, nine prototypes were produced for the Centauro programme.
After trials, some improvements were made. The Centauro became operation in 1991.
The Italian Army received a total of 400 B1 Centauro in three batches.
The third and last batch of the vehicle, from 251 to 400 means, is 22 centimetres longer
than the others. So, they can carry four infantries.
Italy, Jordan, Oman, and Spain are the user of the B1 Centauro.
The four-person crew of the B1 Centauro consists of the commander, driver, gunner, and loader.
It is 8.56 metres long, 3.05 metres wide, and 2.74 metres high. The combat weight of
the vehicle is 25 tons. The 520-horsepower IVECO VTCA V-6 turbocharged diesel engine
provides a maximum road speed of 105 kilometres per hour. The range of the B1 Centauro is
800 kilometres. The vehicle can negotiate 0.5-metre vertical steps, 1.2-metre trenches
and can ford to a depth of 1.2 metres. It has a 105mm rifled main gun as well as two
7.62mm MG-42/59 machine guns. Thanks to the commander's stabilized day sight,
the B1 Centauro has hunter-killer engagement capability.
Both the commander and gunner can engage the target.
Thanks to its advanced fire control system, which is also fitted to the Ariete, the vehicle
has a high first shot-to-hit ratio, and it can also engage low-flying helicopters.
This tank destroyer is capable of firing on the move.
However, in general use, the B1 Centauro fires stationary due to the high recoil power of
the main gun. The hull and turret of the B1 Centauro are
of all-welded steel armour. The frontal arc protects against 20 to 25mm projectiles. The
vehicle can withstand 12.7mm rounds all around. To increase survivability, the B1 Centauro
is also equipped with laser warning receivers and smoke grenade launchers.
These vehicles were, later on, fitted with the ROMAR-A explosive reactive armour and
passive add-on armours. The additional protection has increased the
combat weight by 3,000 kilograms. The power pack of the vehicle can be replaced
within 20 minutes. The B1 Centauro shifts to 6-wheel drive during
high-speed, long-range driving to improve fuel efficiency.
The vehicle is fitted with independent hydropneumatic suspensions and a central tyre inflation system,
which provide high cross country mobility. The Centauro has a turning radius of 9 metres.
This is a pretty small turning radius for such a long wheeled vehicle, and it improves
manoeuvrability in narrow areas such as woods and streets.
Different from original production models, the Omani B1 Centauros is equipped with a
120mm 45 calibre gun and a 650 horsepower engine. They can withstand 40mm armour-piercing
rounds. This variant was also used as a testbed for the B2 Centauro.
The B2 Centauro, also know as Centauro II, was developed for the Italian Army.
Although the B1 Centauro was developed to defend Italy, with the end of the First Cold
War, the Italian Army mostly used this vehicle in overseas operations. Therefore, protection
against land mines and improvised explosive devices came to the fore. Besides, the 105mm
gun of the B1 Centauro was now obsolete against modern armour.
The B2 Centauro was developed to solve these shortcomings. The first prototype of the vehicle
was completed in 2015. As the only user of the B2 Centauro, Italy
has taken the vehicle in its inventory in 2019.
The four-person crew of the B2 Centauro consists of the commander, driver, gunner, and loader.
It is 8.26 metres long, 3.12 metres wide, and 3.62 metres high. The combat weight of
the vehicle is 30 tons. The 720-horsepower IVECO Vector 8V Euro III diesel engine provides
a maximum road speed of 105 kilometres per hour. The range of the B2 Centauro is 800
kilometres. The vehicle can negotiate 0.6-metre vertical steps, 2-metre trenches and can ford
to a depth of 1.5 metres. It has a 120mm smoothbore main gun as well as one12.7mm and one 7.62mm
machine guns. The hull is welded steel, and the turret is
welded aluminium. The B2 Centauro is resistant to 20 to 25mm rounds at the front and 12.7
mm at the sides. With additional composite armours, the ballistic protection can be increased
to withstand 40mm armour-piercing rounds at the front and 14.5mm ammunition at the sides.
The crew compartment is reinforced with Kevlar spall liners.
The vehicle also has a laser warning receiver and an electronic jammer.
The 120mm gun is supported with a specially developed muzzle brake to reduce recoil.
The B2 Centauro has an automatic loader with six ready-to-use ammunition.
However, there is also a loader crew member. The loader transfers the ammunition from the
hull to the autoloader. Also, in case of autoloader malfunction, this crew member can feed the
main gun. Like its predecessor, the B2 Centauro has
hunter-killer engagement capability. The vehicle can open fire within 30 seconds after detecting
the target. The 12.7mm machine gun is placed in the Hitrole
remote-controlled weapon station. The Italian Army used its B1 Centauro in a
real combat environment for the first time in Somalia. These vehicles performed approximately
8,400 kilometres of reconnaissance/patrol missions without serious problem.
The B1 Centauros have also been deployed in the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Lebanon.
Especially the B2 Centauro is highly resistant against land mines and improvised explosive
devices. It is even better than the Rooikat in this
field. On the other hand, other available wheeled
tank destroyers in the world do not offer real protection against such threats.
The ballistic protection of the B2 Centauro is the best in its class. It is the only operational
wheeled tank destroyer, which has a bigger gun than a 105mm. With its state-of-art fire
control system, the B2 Centauro can deal with the modern main battle tank while the others
cannot. Since the early 1990s, the Centauro family
has set the standards of wheeled tank destroyers. Many modern vehicles in this field have similar
design criteria. Don't you think that saying goodbye to the M1128 Mobile Gun System, which
does not meet these criteria, indicates how successful Centauro is?
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