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The Iveco LMV (Light Multirole Vehicle) is a 4WD tactical vehicle developed by Iveco, and in service with several countries. After its adoption by the Italian Army as the Veicolo-Tattico-Leggero-Multiruolo (VTLM) Lince ("Light tactical multirole vehicle Lynx"),[5] it won the Future Command and Liaison Vehicle (FCLV) competition of the British Army as the Panther, but the fleet was put up for sale in 2018.
| Iveco LMV | |
|---|---|
 VTLM2-NEC in 2020 | |
| Type | Infantry mobility vehicle with MRAP capabilities |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Service history | |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1990s |
| Manufacturer |
|
| Unit cost | €405,000[1] |
| Produced | 2001–present |
| No. built | 10,000+ |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | |
| Length | Depending on the version |
| Width | 2,200 mm (7 ft 2.6 in) |
| Height |
|
| Crew |
|
| Armor | STANAG 4569 Level 1-3[1] |
Main armament |
|
| Engine | FPT F1C (3.0L Inline 4)
|
| Payload capacity |
|
| Transmission |
|
| Suspension | Independent, Double A-Arm |
| Ground clearance | 473 mm (18.6 in) |
Operational range | 500 km (310 mi)+ |
| Maximum speed | > 130 km/h (81 mph) |
It has been adopted by the armies of Albania, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Norway, Russia and Spain. The Italian Army took vehicles to Afghanistan for ISAF and Lebanon for the UN Interim Force. In Afghanistan, Lince vehicles have saved passengers' lives in several attacks with IEDs.
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The LMV uses modular armour packs to adjust its level of protection to its mission requirements.[4] In regards to mine protection, the vehicle's ground clearance has been increased to 493 mm (19.4 in) without increasing the overall height (which is less than 2 metres or 6.6 feet); it also uses suspended seats of aeronautical derivation, v-hull under body, and a collapsible sandwich structure in the floor to deflect and absorb mine blasts. Its exhaust is piped through its C-pillars, and its turbocharger is located underneath the engine to reduce its thermal signature. Mobility is helped by a run-flat system, allowing the vehicle to move even with completely deflated tires. It is related to the Fiat Oltre concept car unveiled in 2005.[6]
The LMV was designed in the 1990s and the first LMVs were produced in 2001[7] while the UK's Panthers were produced between 2006 and 2009.[8]
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British Panther CLV
The Panther Command and Liaison Vehicle or Panther CLV was the British Army variant of the Iveco LMV. The Panther CLV came from the "Future Command and Liaison Vehicle" (FCLV) project. Design modifications were made by BAE Systems to allow assembly at BAE Systems Land Systems' factory in Newcastle upon Tyne. Over 300 Panthers were assembled at BAE Systems factory in Newcastle upon Tyne under a £160 million contract. It was intended that the Panther would replace vehicles including Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (tracked) (CVRT) family, FV 432, Saxon and Land Rover Truck Utility Medium (TUM).[9]
The Panther seated four people. They were equipped with Enforcer RCWS weapons stations which were developed by SELEX Galileo. This weapons station could be armed with a 7.62 mm general purpose machine gun, a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. Panther was reduced to a three-seat vehicle when a large amount of communication equipment was placed in the right rear seat. This reduced its utility as, because it was classed as an armoured vehicle, the commander and driver were always required to stay in the vehicle.
The first Panthers were delivered to the 1st Mechanised Brigade and a small number underwent hot weather trials in Afghanistan.[9][dead link] At end of April 2018, the UK Defence Equipment Sales Authority put the entire Panther 4x4 fleet up for sale with 395 vehicles available. The Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (tracked) (CVRT) family, FV 432, and Land Rover Truck Utility Medium (TUM) remain in service.[10]
Russian Rys LMV
The Rys is the Russian variant of the Iveco LMV, manufactured by MVPS, an Iveco Russia and Oboronservis LLC joint venture company,[11] with complete knockdown assembly[12] on the premises of the 127th Wheeled Vehicle Repair Plant in Voronezh. The Rys' supply chain is from different plants around Russia.
Other variants
The LMV is available in two different wheelbases, 3.2 m (126.0 in) and 3.5 m (137.8 in).[4] A two-door, two seater is also available.[4]
Since 2015, LMV production has featured a host of improvements: these include a more powerful 220 horsepower (164 kW; 223 PS) diesel engine coupled to a new eight-speed automatic transmission, an upgraded drive line for higher performance and a new air filtration system. The payload of the LMV has been increased by some 40 per cent and it is now fitted with new specially designed suspension units and recently developed all-terrain tyres for a higher level of cross-country mobility. A key feature of the latest LMV batch of improvements is that they can be backfitted to the entire legacy LMV fleet to enhance their capabilities. The internal layout of the LMV has also been redesigned for greater crew comfort, with new seats, a next-generation dashboard and an upgraded hardtop. The internal cab height has been increased by 100 mm (3.9 in) to create more internal volume and an electronic architecture has been fitted for easier upgrading in the future.
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As of September 2015, Iveco Defence Vehicles had achieved sales of more than 4,000 LMVs Lince 4X4. Iveco LMV was authorized by the Italian government to sell to Ukraine for 41 million euros on 14 September 2014, but never confirmed delivery.[citation needed]
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (October 2019) |
Current
- Albanian Land Force bought 23 Iveco LMV in 2015, 2 more donated in 2017.[13][14][15]
- Austrian Army operates 150 Iveco LMV
- Brazilian Army operates 48 LMV Lince and LMV-BR as of 2024.[28][29] More 420 LMV-BR2 variant ordered in July 2024, with national production and deliveries planned to start in 2026. 105 LMV-BR2s will be armed with the REMAX IV remote weapon system.[30][31]
- Croatian Army operates 14 Iveco LMV[13]
- Czech Army bought 120 Iveco LMV[13][32] and ordered 80 for CBRN reconnaissance.[33]
- Italian Army received most units from about 2,000 Iveco LMV in March 2013; 3,850 total planned to 2034 [35][13]
- Italian Air Force
- Italian Navy
- Carabinieri
- Guardia di Finanza
- Italian Red Cross
- Italian Civil Defence
- Internal Security Forces bought 25 Iveco LMV in 2014 and 20 Iveco LBTP in 2015,[36][13] more donated in late 2021.[citation needed]
- Norwegian Army 170 Iveco LMV on order, last delivery of 62 units in February 2018[13][37]
- 14 donated to Ukraine in September 2022.[38]
- Russian Army received 67 Iveco LMV Rys' delivered in 2012. Additional 358 were locally assembled between 2013 and 2014.[39][13]
- Slovak Army bought 40 Iveco M65E 4x4 LMV for Special Forces.
- Spanish Army — 395 Iveco LMV in March 2013[13]
- Syrian Arab Army operates Rys' variant supplied by Russia in 2017.[40]
- Somaliland National Army Operates between 2 and 3 LMV donated by Taiwan in 2022.
The British Army signed a contract with Alvis for 401 licence-produced Iveco MLV vehicles (known as Panther in British service) in July 2003. [42] These entered service in 2008, and upgraded for use in Afghanistan by 2009. In May 2018 it was reported by Jane's that the British Army was intending to dispose of its Panther CLV fleet, however as of 2024 this has not yet taken place, with Panther CLV being deployed on exercises in Estonia.[43][44][45]
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- Iveco MTV, future infantry mobility vehicle for the Dutch Armed Forces
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