In the 1994 a mixed detachment of incursors of Col Moschin and of the GOI - precursors of the 45 Task Force - was sent to Rwanda (Hippocampus operation) to recover civilian personnel who had been stranded in the African country due to the civil war. The raiders, once landed with a C-130H of the Air Force at Kigali airport, had to requisition civil vehicles found on the spot as the two departments did not have specific means to be used for the rescue operation.
Twenty-five years after the Nono is receiving a new vehicle specifically designed for special forces operations, the FLYER 72 4x4. There are currently nine financed means, with a commitment to acquire other 18.
The choice of FLYER it was dictated above all by the need to have an airway that could be retrieved once the mission was completed. Thanks to a mass just above 3.000 kg, the FLYER can be transported internally by aircraft such as the CH-47F or attached externally to the UH-90.
Il FLYER it has not been designed to withstand explosions of mines or IEDs, in fact it does not have a lower armor or a V-shaped hull. Its protection is speed, thanks to a turbodiesel engine from 2 liters able to develop 195 power cv, allowing the vehicle to reach the speed of 120 km / h.
Much attention has been paid to the rigging, in fact two machine guns per side can be installed, such as the MINIMI FNH in caliber 5,56x45 and 7,62x51. In addition, on the fifth wheel, you can mount a Browning M2HB from 12,7x99 rather than an Mk-47 grenade launcher from 40x53, but you could install a M-134D mini rotor with six rotating barrels from 7,62x51 to significantly increase the volume of fire delivered. , but the location of the relative ammunition tank would eliminate one of the passenger seats.
At the moment the FLYER 72 is currently undergoing homologation at the Col Moschin 9 ° Rgt, but we believe it won't be long before it is used in an operating theater.
Also read: "Flyer: an agile American 4x4 will replace the worthy AR90?"
Photo: Ministry of Defense
