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CIO Ariete

1995 MAIN BATTLE TANK MODERN

History of CIO Ariete

In 1984, the Italian groups OTO Melara and Iveco-FIAT merged to form the CIO - "Consorzio Iveco Oto Melara". The two parties aim to develop three different advanced battlefield systems that will share as many vehicle components as possible to reduce long-term costs and logistical support for the Italian Army.

The result was the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro 8x8 wheeled tank destroyer and the Ariete ("Battling Hammer") main battle tank. OTO Melara shared responsibilities and acted as the main contractor, overseeing the design and engineering, while supplying the various components, and Iveco-Fiat contracted to design and manufacture the required power packs and associated systems.

The

Ariete was turned into a 60-ton vehicle with a 1,275-horsepower V12 MTCA turbodiesel engine (linked to an automatic transmission) sitting on a torsion bar suspension. The overall configuration of the MBT is standard, with a crew of 4, a 120mm L44 smoothbore tank gun mounted in a 360-degree swivel turret, and the engine/gearbox located aft. The track system is partially covered with side skirt armor and contains seven twin tire wheels, a rear drive sprocket and a front mounted track idler.

The driver sits on the right front of the fuselage, and the commander, gunner and loader sit in the well-sloped turret. Self-defense is provided by 2 x 7.62mm machine guns, one mounted coaxially and the other mounted on top of the turret for anti-aircraft purposes. Performance shows a road speed of 40 mph and a range of 342 miles.

The main gun is armed with 40 x 120mm shells and the machine gun is armed with 2,400 x 7.62mm ammunition.

Ariete has completed a welded steel/composite protection system that enables it to counter threats such as HEAT warheads. Additional armor will continue to be supported, according to the CIO. NBC protection is standard on the crew, as is night vision equipment.

2 x 4 smoke grenade launchers allow the crew to provide their own smoke hoods if needed, and a laser warning sensor is installed near the loader hatch to detect incoming guided threats. Wade up to 2.1 meters with pre-preparation and 1.2 meters without preparation.

The production of the Ariete tank takes place at the OTO Melara plant in La Spezia, and the order for the Italian army totals 200 units. These were divided into four tank battalions, the rest were kept. No foreign orders have surfaced, and no follow-up orders have been placed by the Italian army.

Deliveries began in 1995, the same year the tank entered service.

According to all reports, the Ariete is a modern, powerful main battle tank system with day and night capabilities. Iveco addressed earlier engine performance issues, increasing power from 1,275 hp to 1,600 hp.

The armor protection system makes it comparable to the basic shape of the American M1 Abrams main battle tank or the British Challenger 2 series. The advanced digital fire control system works in tandem with the dual-axis stabilized main battle tank to fire the gun on the move. On-road performance is excellent, and off-road capability is well mentioned.

The 120mm main gun is designed in-house by OTO Melara to fire any NATO supported gun with excellent penetration values.

The last Ariete tank of the top 200 order was delivered to the Italian Army in August 2002. CIO Marketing refers to Ariete as a "second generation" MBT.