Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces are now using Italian-supplied Centauro B1 wheeled tank destroyers, the first confirmed sighting of the vehicles after months of speculation on their transfer.
The service’s 78th Air Assault Regiment released a video showcasing the platforms in frontline operations fitted with Ukrainian-made protective gear.
The platforms appear to be moving with added armor cages, wide metal screens, and a folding grill mounted on the hull, features commonly found on Ukrainian vehicles to counter unmanned aerial system threats.
It also incorporates layers of mesh, metal, and cable “spikes” to force explosive drones to detonate farther from the vehicle and soften the impact of blasts.
Unconfirmed reports in 2023 suggested Italy had transferred the eight-wheeled vehicles, but no visual proof surfaced until the recent video, according to Ukraine’s state-run media outlet United24.
Rome has not revealed how many it delivered, following its practice of keeping weapons shipments to Kyiv amid its war with Russia undisclosed.
The Centauro B1 Platform
The Centauro B1 is a 9-meter (30-foot) fast, gun-armed armored vehicle built by Italian companies Iveco and Oto Melara to replace the Italian Army’s obsolete M47 Patton main battle tanks.
It weighs about 24 tons (48,000 pounds), making it compatible for transport via military aircraft, and carries operators composed of a commander, gunner, loader, and driver.
The platform’s turret mounts a 105-millimeter Oto Melara rifled cannon, the Italian version of the British L7, capable of firing standard NATO ammunition.
Its base armor protects against heavy machine gun rounds on all sides and 25-millimeter armor-piercing fire across the front.
Centauro B1 is fitted with an Iveco 520-horsepower turbocharged diesel engine and an automatic transmission for a top speed of 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour and a range of 800 kilometers (497 miles).
Italy currently operates more than 250 Centauro B1s and is fielding the newer Centauro II model.
