With an official note from Iveco Defense Vehicles, the news of the delivery of the first batch of ASTRA ACTL trucks to the Romanian army was released yesterday January 8th.
This is an important order for the Bolzano-based group which is part of the CNH Industrial holding. The first batch of the agreement, which would bring the date of December 30, 2019, would count 942 trucks of the 2.900 planned.
In light of the past supplies of 2015 which numbered 57 trucks and subsequently another 173 in 2017, it is to be expected that for the new contract a satisfactory diplomatic work by Iveco and foreign policy has been carried out, but it would be equally nice to believe that himself Romanian Ministry of National Defense, has once again chosen one of our products for the quality found in ASTRA Standard Military trucks. Perhaps a successful tear to the French, especially if we consider the weight that Renault - including Renault defense - with Dacia have on Romanian soil.
The delivery will be diluted in four years and would concern the two, three and four-axle platforms in logistical variants, which in turn would contain as many as 16 variants, a third of which with armored cockpit.
Some details have been listed in the fittings, including the CITIS Central Tire Infllation System - the adjustment from the driver's seat of the tire pressure - blackout lights, special towing winches as well as the axles and, so far we could say that there is no really nothing new ... However, there would also be mention of a sort of dual power supply in addition to the obvious compatibility of aviation transport on C130 envisaged by NATO standards. A detail, that of nutrition, which we would like to explore.
Despite the good news, an Iveco source claims to perceive a sort of "departure" of the corporate brand that produces heavy trucks, from its derivatives Astra and Magirus. This, in particular, would be understood - always according to the indiscretion - by observing the homologation plates where the writing Iveco Magirus Gmbh would appear. In any case, a context, that of civil production, where there is already a separation of leadership - and communication - with the production of Iveco Defense.
In the meantime, the mouths are sewn - and it would be nice to understand why since it is a public order - on the Italian future of the Iveco MUV 70/20 (photo) but it is also true and, it would not be a secret, that several military personnel would be shown a little skeptical about the new light multirole or at least they would have required substantial changes. Despite the characteristics it would turn out not very military.
In the meantime, better than nothing, our boys in uniform will still be able to count, knowing now strengths and weaknesses, about the unstoppable, timeless and versatile veteran… VM90T.
Photo: IDV
