May 10,
2008: Spain has ordered 80 LMVs (Light Multipurpose Vehicles). Italian
firm Iveco produces the vehicle for the Italian army, and a growing number of foreign
customers (Belgium, Britain, Norway, etc). The seven ton, 4x4 vehicle is
another design influenced by the success of armored hummers and MRAPs (Mine
Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Italian army
has ordered 1,210 LMVs, and received 500 last year. Some have already shown up
in Afghanistan.
Like the
hummer, the LMV normally carries five people. The LMV can carry a remote
control gun turret on the roof, and there will be variants with the rear of the
vehicle used for cargo or equipment. The LMV is similar in size to the
hummer (15.8 feet long and 7.3 feet
wide), but is actually a few percent larger, and weighs about a third more.
Like the hummers built with armor (rather than having it added), the LMV
provides excellent protection from bullets and roadside bombs. The V-shaped
hull of the LMV improves protection from explosions beneath the vehicle. The
LMV costs nearly half a million dollars each, when tricked out with all the
accessories, using the larger (3.5 meter compared to 3.2 meter) wheelbase, and configured for maximum bomb resistance.
