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CIO Dardo

1998 MODERN

History of CIO Dardo

The

Dardo Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) is part of a family of similarly designed armoured vehicles that includes the Ariete tracked battle tank and the Centauro wheeled mobile tank killer. Like these systems, Dardo is a joint product of the Italian consortium of Iveco and Oto Melara.

Iveco is responsible for the development of the hull and engine and related subsystems, while Otto Merara is responsible for the vehicle's weapons and related subsystems. Dardo began serving in the Italian Army in 1998, and has since served in the Italian Army in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in the United Nations forces as part of the Interim UNIFIL Force in Lebanon.

Development

The development of Dardo was taken over by Consorzio IVECO Oto. The system was developed in response to the Italian Army's need for a capable infantry fighting vehicle to replace its modern but aging M113 series of armored personnel carriers (designated VCC when in service in Italy).

The contract was officially handed over to Otobreda and Iveco in 1992, and three prototypes were developed and completed, designated VCC-80. Evaluation trials followed, before it was decided to further develop the VCC-80's chassis design into an improved armored personnel carrier with better offensive capabilities and a more standard main battle tank. In 1998, the Consorzio IVECO Oto received an order for 200 production cars, known as the Dardo IFV. Like other armoured vehicles in this class, the Dardo chassis is adapted for use as a battlefield ambulance, mobile command post and 120mm mortar transporter.

Different turret options are also available for aspiring customers, including a 30mm Bushmaster II series weapon system and a 60mm high velocity gun weapon system.

Dado's Journey

Externally, the Italian Dardo retains a very simple and functional look, although in the field of infantry fighting vehicles it remains traditional, to say the least. The hull provides low profile and sporty angled armor surfaces as well as side skirts. The driver sits on the left, directly in front of the turret, with the power pack to his right (identified by the exhaust grille along the right side of the hull). Glacis plates are wide and angled to promote excellent deflection capabilities as well as a sleek forward profile. The headlights are located at the extreme corners of the front fuselage.

The turret and hull are fully welded aluminum armor supported by bolt-on armor on key panels. While reducing operating weight overall, the design use of aluminum armor adds a degree of vulnerability on the battlefieldboth to sophisticated systems and aircrews.

The suspension is hydropneumatic torsion bar type, supporting six rubber tire dual-road wheels to one track side. The drive sprocket is in front, the tensioner is in the rear, and the chain network is complemented by three idlers on either side of the chain.

The standard crew of the Dardo consists of three people, including the commander, driver and gunner. There are six passenger seats, all located in the rear of the fuselage.

Passengers can use six firing ports to train their personal weapons - two on each side of the fuselage and one on the rear access ramp. The rear access ramp is fully powered and is the primary means of boarding and disembarking Dardo combat-ready troops. The rear ramp also retains a manually-operated slide-in door for emergency exits. There is also a hatch above the rear crew compartment for crew loading and reloading of the optional externally mounted single-shot TOW missile launcher.

The crew has access to air conditioning, integrated NBC protection, passive night vision (driver, gunner and commander) and an automatic fire suppression system.

Weapons

The powered two-man turrets of Oto Breda's TC 25 series are located in the ring just behind the driver on the left and right in the middle of the fuselage. Both the commander and the gunner occupy their respective positions in this system, with the commander sitting to his left and the gunner sitting to his right. The main weapon is an Oerlikon Contraves type KBA 25mm dual feed automatic cannon with a capacity of up to 600 rounds per minute.

The turret holds about 200 25mm shells. The gun is stabilized along two axes and has an elevation range of -10 to +60 degrees. The main gun is supported by the Galileo Avionics (formerly Oficine Galileo) "HITFIST" fire control system developed from the VCC-80.

Thermal imaging systems and laser rangefinders also combine with the skills of the gunner to provide accurate results, and the cannon can hit lightly armored land vehicles and low-flying aircraft with equal lethality.

Coaxial MG 42/59 series 7.62mm machine gun mounted to the left of the main gun with 700 rounds of ammunition. Additional 7.62mm machine guns can be attached to external weapon stations mounted on top of the turret.

The rectangular single-shot Hughes TOW anti-tank missile launcher is optional and enhances Dardo's tank kill and battlefield self-sufficiency. The positions of these launchers are also from -7. 5 to +30 degrees, regardless of the current attack angle of the primary weapon.

Self-defense is supplemented by 8x80mm smoke grenade launchers mounted on the front of the turret (quad array) or on the side of the turret (in a row).

Power Station

Power is provided by a single IVECO-Fiat V6 MYCA liquid-cooled turbodiesel engine producing 512 hp and mated to an automatic transmission system. This powerplant gives the Dardo a top speed of 43.5 mph and a range of 311 miles. Notably, this Iveco Fiat development is also the engine of choice for the Centauro 8x8 tank killer.

The wading depth was reported to be less than 5 feet and the Dardo's slope was 60 percent. Vertical obstacle crossing is 2'9", while 8'2" trench crossing completes its capabilities.

Conclusion

As with most new battlefield equipment, only direct combat and active combat will prove the reliability of the Dardo IFV's design. Its previous operations in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan have so far proved successful.