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2021-06-06

Iveco Supplies First Unit of LMV-BR to Brazilian Army

Italian military vehicle manufacturer Iveco Defence delivered 32 LMV-BR (Light Multirole Vehicles-Brazil) to the Brazilian Army in the last week of April, the first batch in accordance with a contract signed in 2019. The rest of the 31 units of LMVs will be delivered by next year as part of the Army modernisation process.
The event was attended by representatives of the company and of the Brazilian Army.

In addition to LMV’s standard features, all these vehicles are fitted with customised weapon and Command and Control systems, as required by the customer.

The LMV-BR was chosen in 2015 by the Brazilian Army under the new Viatura Blindada Multitarefa, Leve de Rodas (VBMT-LR) programme, which includes an overall requirement for 186 vehicles. The final assembly of the vehicles is carried out at the Sete Lagoas plant, where several national components are integrated.

Iveco Defence Vehicles expects to start production of the next batches in 2022.

The robust partnership between Iveco Defence Vehicles and the Brazilian Army is now consolidated with this second line of product while Sete Lagoas plant demonstrates its paramount importance in strengthening the National Defence industrial base in the land systems domain, with a fully qualified workforce and top-level technical capabilities together with a network of local suppliers and partners.

Starting from 2012, Iveco Defence Vehicles has adopted World Class Manufacturing (WCM), a programme aimed at achieving production process excellence through continuous improvements.

4x4 Tactical Vehicle

The LMV was launched in 2006 and, from that point onwards, it has been the subject of continuous development and innovation. Iveco Defence Vehicles appreciated from the outset that a vehicle such as LMV would have to evolve with changing requirements.

The company implemented a programme of product development which focused on delivering incremental improvements, usually from lessons learned in the field, whilst maintaining the excellence of the basic design.

The Iveco LMV 4x4 tactical vehicle, developed as a private venture, remains in service with several countries. It is an innovative vehicle developed to reduce threat posed by improvised explosive devices and landmines. The LMV is also called VTLM Lince by the Italian military and Panther CLV in the United Kingdom. It has actually become the light protected vehicle of choice in Europe, with sales to 12 countries to date.

The fourth generation LAV (Light Armoured Vehicle) procured by the Norwegian Armed Forces at the beginning of 2013, demonstrated the ability of the LMV design to accommodate a variety of needs which are demanded by the user.

Crucial Benefit

One of the most important benefits was an increase of payload of some 40 per cent to about 1.5 tonnes, depending on the vehicle configuration. The last evolution of LMV, the LMV2 launched at Eurosatory 2016, continues to expand the roles it can undertake, providing enhanced performance, greater reliability, and increased crew comfort.

This second generation LMV will be produced parallel to the current version, in order to meet the full spectrum of operational roles demanded by the military user.

At present, the LMV is available in a number of variants, with a range of protection levels or none at all. These include the Medevac, NBC unit, Pick-up, RSTA and SOF. Whatever its role, the LMV will continue to fulfil its most valued function: that of transporting its crew swiftly and safely on any mission they are required to undertake.

This LMV, implemented with a new 220 horsepower engine, presents an upgraded driveline, capable of managing more power, and a new air filtration system. In order to provide maximum mobility, a new automatic gearbox, upgraded with two additional speeds (eight in total), makes the transition between gears smoother when driving off-road.

When operated in conjunction with the automatic drive management system (ADM), this ensures that the vehicle performance is optimised to meet the challenges of the most demanding of terrain scenarios.

Electronic Stability Control

A new electronic stability control (ESP) system, able to work in off-road conditions, ensures driving safety as well as driver comfort and agility. Further mobility enhancements are achieved through a specially designed suspension system, combined with tyres to match different challenging terrains.

The new crew cell design has been developed particularly to cater to the need to accommodate five fully-equipped soldiers, including body armour and personal equipment. Most internal roll-bars have been redesigned, enhancing the available legroom, while the internal cab height is 100mm greater than on the standard LMV, thus increasing internal space and habitability.

The internal layout of the new crew cell also improves crew ergonomics, as well as incorporating a next-generation digitised dashboard and an upgraded hardtop.

Improvised explosive device (IED) protection is enhanced by the addition of a third hinge added to each door and the use of new materials. LMV2 is designed to accommodate extensive components, including radios, intercom and Electronic Counter Measures (ECM).

The vehicle is extremely well adaptable to being deployed as a mobile radio platform, by the nature of its outstanding Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) profile and can fulfil the most demanding technical requirements.

Seamless Integration

The sub-system integration has also been greatly eased by the adoption of a new vehicle digitised electronic architecture and an improved power supply. This allows for mission systems such as remote controlled weapon stations and intercom to be seamlessly integrated onto the platform without complication.

The new hardtop “dual-role”, made of a ballistic steel monocoque framework with lightweight aluminum/steel roll-bar, allows the vehicle to be equipped either with a manual weapon turret or alternatively, with a Remote Weapon Station (RWS), both of which can be readily fitted and removed in the field, ensuring greater flexibility of deployment.

Last but not least, the maintenance load has been reduced by improving the type and location of some of the subsystems and by tailoring the service regime.

As an example, the digitised dashboard provides on demand maintenance based data on prognostics, allowing the user to accurately review and schedule maintenance tasks, instead of predicting and scheduling preventive maintenance.

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