The first two Light Multirole Vehicles for the Austrian Army were presented at the Military Arsenal in Vienna, Austria, with the Minister of Defence, Norbert Darabos, being present. On December 29th, 2008 the Ministry of Defence had signed a contract (value 104 million euros) for 150 Light Multirole Vehicles (LMV) in 7 different configurations and related logistics support. The first vehicles are scheduled to be delivered in late 2010.

The Light Multirole Vehicles will be used by the Austrian Army for reconnaissance, observation, command and control as well as for military police tasks, for instance. "This high-value investment is a further step towards equipping the troops with state-of-the-art vehicles, providing a high level of crew protection and good mobility," the Minister said.

IVECO's Sales & Marketing Director, Flavio Marchesoni, expressing great pride in the company's close working relationship with the Austrian Army, declared: "This contract reflects Iveco's commitment to satisfying the operational requirements of the Austrian Army with a technically advanced, cutting edge vehicle. Providing significant enhancements to performance, protection and capacity, this model builds on the success of more than 2500 LMV units sold in Europe. The presentation of these first two LMV represents an important milestone in this strategic partnership between the Austrian MOD and Iveco."

Iveco's Light Multirole Vehicle

The LMV is a purpose built military vehicle which nonetheless benefits from the use of many commercial components. Rugged and highly mobile, it is designed to meet the stringent demands of military operations whilst providing a level of ride crew comfort akin to that of a car. The growing demand for highly deployable forces has been taken into full account by the LMV design team. The vehicle has a low, compact silhouette which allows its transportation in C-130.

Light tactical vehicles are required to undertake a multiplicity of operations which need very different levels of capacity and of protection against a wide variety of threats. To this end, the LMV is designed as a chassis cab which permits the installation of many different modules including a cargo platform, an ambulance and a weapon carrier. The benefits of this modularity are further enhanced by the capability to install additional ballistic protection. As the LMV is purpose designed, both the cab panelling and the windows can be replaced as required. The LMV displays exceptional mobility provided by independent suspension, low MMP value, and also an exceptional fording capability.

The provision of anti-mine protection has also been given a high priority, with the over-riding aim being to ensure the survival of the crew. To this end, a normal control cab has been used and the results of the latest research into mine protection has been incorporated, including a vee-shaped vehicle bottom. This can be up-armoured as required to meet the appropriate level of threat. The overall structure of the vehicle has been designed in accordance with the ‘crashworthiness' concept. The design of the vehicle itself and the materials which have been used in its construction are specifically designed to manage and absorb the blast energy generated by a mine detonation. Since the beginning of operations in Afghanistan, the high protection of the LMV has proved its worth in saving the life of the crew in many occasions. As a part of Iveco DV's commitment to meeting customers' requirements through a continuous programme of development and innovation, a variety of enhancements in terms of payload and protection have been added to the LMV. Contracts offering this LMV-plus are under negotiation with many countries.

Iveco Defence Vehicles

Iveco Defence Vehicles is renowned for the application of advanced automotive innovations and leading edge protection solutions to purpose-built designs, resulting in a full range of trucks, armoured, protected and multirole vehicles. Iveco Defence Vehicles' plant is situated in Bolzano in Northern Italy, the site of the factory originally housing Lancia's military vehicle plant was founded in 1937. The company has developed an exceptional international network delivering technical and commercial expertise at a world-wide level. Iveco Defence Vehicles boasts a dedicated research and development organisation, whilst also benefiting from Iveco's corporate engineering resources, having available a pool of vehicle expert engineers in the Iveco HQ in Torino. The marketing, production and aftersales organisation are also based within the Bolzano Facility. Supporting these activities is an additional factory, based in Vittorio Veneto, a centre of excellence for protection. In recent years, Iveco Defence Vehicles has focused on meeting the demands both of its domestic Italian market and of export customers, The company's success in this latter area in particular has been dramatic, with export sales growing from 20% of the total in the mid 90s to a figure of 70% today. More than 30,000 Iveco vehicles are now in military service worldwide.