The Iveco LMV (Light Multirole Vehicle) is a 4WD tactical vehicle developed by

Iveco Iveco S.p.A., an acronym for Industrial Vehicles Corporation, is an Italian multinational transport vehicle manufacturing company with headquarters in Turin, Italy. It designs and builds light, medium, and heavy Commercial vehicle, commercial veh ...

, and in service with several countries. After its adoption by the

Italian Army The Italian Army ( []) is the Army, land force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the Italian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China and Italo-Turkish War, Libya. It ...

as the ''Veicolo-Tattico-Leggero-Multiruolo'' (VTLM) ''Lince'' ("Light tactical multirole vehicle Lynx"), it won the Future Command and Liaison Vehicle (FCLV) competition of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

as the Panther, but the fleet was put up for sale in 2018. It has been adopted by the armies of

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

and

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. The Italian Army took vehicles to

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

for

ISAF The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 according to the Bonn Agreement, which outlined t ...

and

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

for the UN Interim Force. In Afghanistan, Lince vehicles have saved passengers' lives in several attacks with IEDs.

Design

Italian Army - 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment VTLM Lince during an exercise in Sardinia

The LMV uses modular armour packs to adjust its level of protection to its mission requirements. In regards to mine protection, the vehicle's ground clearance has been increased to without increasing the overall height (which is less than ); it also uses suspended seats of aeronautical derivation,

v-hull The V-hull is a type of vehicle armor design used on wheeled armored personnel carriers (APCs), infantry mobility vehicles, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and MRAPs. The design originated in the 1970s with vehicles such as the Casspir used ...

under body, and a collapsible sandwich structure in the floor to deflect and absorb mine blasts. Its exhaust is piped through its

C-pillar The pillars on a car with permanent roof body style (such as four-door sedans) are the vertical or nearly vertical supports of its window area or greenhouse—designated respectively as the A, B, C and (in larger cars such as 4-door station w ...

s, and its

turbocharger In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (also known as a turbo or a turbosupercharger) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake air, forcing more air into th ...

is located underneath the engine to reduce its

thermal A thermal column (or thermal) is a rising mass of buoyant air, a convective current in the atmosphere, that transfers heat energy vertically. Thermals are created by the uneven heating of Earth's surface from solar radiation, and are an example ...

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. The LMV was designed in the 1990s and the first LMVs were produced in 2001 while the UK's Panthers were produced between 2006 and 2009.

Variants

British Panther CLV

The Panther Command and Liaison Vehicle or Panther CLV was the

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 BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...

to allow assembly at BAE Systems Land Systems' factory in

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

. 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) The Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)) is a family of armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) developed in the 1960s and is in service with the British Army and others throughout the world. They are small, highly mobile, air-transportab ...

(CVRT) family,

FV 432 The FV432 is the armoured personnel carrier variant in the British Army's FV430 series of armoured fighting vehicles. Since its introduction in the 1960s, it has been the most common variant, being used for transporting infantry on the battlefie ...

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

and Land Rover Truck Utility Medium (TUM). 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

. 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

(CVRT) family,

, and Land Rover Truck Utility Medium (TUM) remain in service.

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, with complete knockdown assembly on the premises of the 127th Wheeled Vehicle Repair Plant in

Voronezh Voronezh ( ; , ) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the Southeastern Railway, which connects wes ...

. The Rys' supply chain is from different plants around Russia.

Other variants

The LMV is available in two different wheelbases, and . A two-door, two seater is also available. Since 2015, LMV production has featured a host of improvements: these include a more powerful 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 to create more internal volume and an electronic architecture has been fitted for easier upgrading in the future.

Marketing

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.

Operators

Current

; *

Albanian Land Force The Albanian Land Force () is the land force branch of the Albanian Armed Forces. Mission The Albanian Land Force's main mission is the defense of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Albania, participatio ...

bought 23 Iveco LMV in 2015, 2 more donated in 2017. ; * Austrian Army operates 150 Iveco LMV **123 GMF Husar and Husar MP (infantry mobility vehicle) **3 GMF Husar PsyOps **22 BAA-EO GMF Husar.Page 6 (Bergefahrzeuge schwer/Rad gepanzert) https://www.bmlv.gv.at/download_archiv/pdfs/bilanz_doskozil.pdf (12 for reconnaissance companies, 6 for artillery observation, 4 for the Jagdkommando) **3 GMF Husar Beagle (equipped with a ground surveillance radar).Page 6 (Bergefahrzeuge schwer/Rad gepanzert) https://www.bmlv.gv.at/download_archiv/pdfs/bilanz_doskozil.pdf ; *

Belgian Army The Land Component (, ), historically and commonly still referred to as the Belgian Army (, ), is the Land warfare, land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land ...

: **440 Iveco LMV purchased with 120 add-on armour kits, and had an option for 180 additional LMV that was never activated. The vehicle will be replaced by the JLTV. **80 donated to Ukraine (announcement in January 2023). **300 pledged to Ukraine in March 2024. ; *

State Investigation and Protection Agency The State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Državna agencija za istrage i zaštitu, Државна агенција за истраге и заштиту, separator=" / ") is the official state police agency of Bosnia and ...

; *

Brazilian Army The Brazilian Army (; EB) is the branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible, externally, for defending the country in eminently terrestrial operations and, internally, for guaranteeing law, order and the constitutional branches, subordina ...

operates 48 LMV Lince and LMV-BR as of 2024. 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 A remote controlled weapon station (RCWS), remotely operated weapon system (ROWS), or remote weapon system (RWS), is a remotely operated light or medium-caliber weapon system, often equipped with a fire-control system, that can be installed on Co ...

. ; *

Croatian Army The Croatian Army ( or HKoV) is the land force branch of the Croatian Armed Forces. It is numerically the largest of the three branches of the Croatian Armed Forces. The HKoV is the main force for the defense of the country against external threa ...

operates 14 Iveco LMV ; *

Czech Army The Czech Armed Forces (), also known as the Czech Army, are the military responsible for the defence of the Czech Republic as the main part of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic (). The Czech Armed Forces led by the General Staff consis ...

bought 120 Iveco LMV and ordered 80 for CBRN reconnaissance. ; *

Indonesian Army The Indonesian Army ( (TNI-AD), ) is the army, land branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It has an estimated strength of 300,400 active personnel. The history of the Indonesian Army has its roots in 1945 when the (TKR) "People's Se ...

; *

received most units from about 2,000 Iveco LMV in March 2013; 3,850 total planned to 2034 *

Italian Air Force The Italian Air Force (; AM, ) is the air force of the Italy, Italian Republic. The Italian Air Force was founded as an independent service arm on 28 March 1923 by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, King Victor Emmanuel III as the ("Royal Air Force ...

Italian Navy The Italian Navy (; abbreviated as MM) is one of the four branches of Italian Armed Forces and was formed in 1946 from what remained of the ''Regia Marina'' (Royal Navy) after World War II. , the Italian Navy had a strength of 30,923 active per ...

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...

Guardia di Finanza The Guardia di Finanza (; G. di F. or GdF; or ) is an Italian militarised law enforcement agency under the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Italy), Ministry of Economy and Finance, instead of the Ministry of Defence (Italy), Ministry of Defence ...

Italian Red Cross The Italian Red Cross (IRC, or ''CRI'') is the Italian national Red Cross society. The Italian Red Cross was one of the original founding members of the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1919. History Early history The present-day I ...

* Italian Civil Defence ; *

Internal Security Forces The Internal Security Forces (; ; abbreviated ISF) are the national police and gendarmerie of Lebanon. Modern police were established in Lebanon in 1861, with the creation of a gendarmerie force. In April 2005, Ashraf Rifi became head of the I ...

bought 25 Iveco LMV in 2014 and 20 Iveco LBTP in 2015, more donated in late 2021. ; *

Norwegian Army The Norwegian Army () is the land warfare service branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Army is the oldest of the Norwegian service branches, established as a modern military organization under the command of the King of Norway in 1628. The ...

170 Iveco LMV on order, last delivery of 62 units in February 2018 **14 donated to Ukraine in September 2022. ; *

Qatar Armed Forces The Qatar Armed Forces () are the military forces of the State of Qatar. Since 2015, Qatar has implemented mandatory military conscription with an average of 2,000 graduates per year. As of 2010, Qatar's defence expenditures added up to a tot ...

; *

Russian Army The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...

received 67 Iveco LMV Rys' delivered in 2012. Additional 358 were locally assembled between 2013 and 2014. ; *

Slovak Army The Slovak Ground Forces (), also known as the Slovak Army, are the land forces of the Slovak Armed Forces. Organization * Ground Forces Command, in Trenčín ** 71st Command Support Battalion, in Trenčín ** 103rd Nuclear, Biological and Ch ...

bought 40 Iveco M65E 4x4 LMV for Special Forces. ; *

Spanish Army The Spanish Army () is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest Standing army, active armies – dating back to the late 15th century. The Spanish Army has existed ...

— 395 Iveco LMV in March 2013 ; Ba'athist Syria *

Syrian Arab Army The Syrian Arab Armed Forces (SAAF; ) were the combined armed forces of Syria from 1963 to 2024. They served during the rule of the Ba'ath Party in Syria. The SAAF consisted of the Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Air Force, Syrian Arab Air D ...

used to operate Rys' variant supplied by Russia in 2017. ; *

Somaliland National Army The Somaliland National Army (, ), is the army, land force and largest branch of the Somaliland Armed Forces is based in the Somaliland capital of Hargeisa. The Somaliland National Army is composed entirely of professionals and volunteers becau ...

Operates between 2 and 3 LMV donated by Taiwan in 2022. ; *

Tunisian Army The Tunisian Land Army (, ) is the ground component of the Tunisian Armed Forces . The Land Forces Command is located in Bizerte. The TAF itself was created on June 30, 1956. The Land Army is the largest service branch within the Tunisian Armed ...

Tunisian National Guard The Tunisian National Guard (, ) is the national gendarmerie force of the Republic of Tunisia and separated from the Tunisian Armed Forces. History During the French protectorate of Tunisia, the French national gendarmerie was tasked to maint ...

; * Ministry for National Security ; *

Ukrainian Ground Forces The Ukrainian Ground Forces (SVZSU, ), also referred to as the Ukrainian army, is a land force, and one of the eight Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was formed from Ukrainian units of the Soviet Army after Declaratio ...

**380 from Belgium. **14 donated by Norway in September 2022. ; *

Royal Tank Regiment The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the British Army in 1916 during the World War I, First World War. Today, it is an Armoured warfare, armoured regiment equipped with Challenger 2 main battle tanks ...

: 19 vehicles The British Army signed a contract with

Alvis Alvis is a given name and a surname (close to the uncommon Scottish surname Alves). Alvis may also refer to: *Alvi, a Muslim community in South Asia, who claims descent from the fourth Rashidun caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib *Alvis Car and Engineering ...

for 401 licence-produced Iveco MLV vehicles (known as Panther in British service) in July 2003. These entered service in 2008, and upgraded for use in Afghanistan by 2009. In May 2018 it was reported by

Jane's Janes is a global open-source intelligence company specialising in military, national security, aerospace and transport topics, whose name derives from British author Fred T. Jane. History Jane's Information Group was founded in 1898 by Fred ...

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. Joint-forces.com reported in 2023 that the Panther was expected to remain in service until at least 2037.

References

External links

Official website

* https://web.archive.org/web/20110324100350/http://www.kolesa.ru/news/2010/09/10/minoborony_priznalo_plany_sozdaniya_sp_po_vypusku_italyanskih_lmv_video {{Authority control LMV Infantry mobility vehicles Off-road vehicles Armoured personnel carriers of Italy Military light utility vehicles Military vehicles introduced in the 2000s Wheeled armoured personnel carriers