Freccia
Contents
Description
The Freccia IFV, made by Iveco and OTO Melara, was an Italian IFV designed to meet a new requirement from the Italian army for a new modern vehicle that would be able to successfully replace the obsolete fleet of VCC-2 APCs that had been serving in the Italian armed forces for many years. Iveco and OTO Melara would eventually design something closely based on the Centauro family of vehicles, which would end up being known as the Freccia. It would enter service in 2009 and continues to serve today in a multitude of locations where the Italian army is stationed.
Introduced in Update "La Royale", the main defining feature of the Freccia is the new turret which is able to mount Spike fire-and-forget ATGMs. The main con when playing the Freccia is the big profile, you are very limited in how you can hide this machine. Fighting in close proximity to enemy vehicles is also not the best, the Spikes are mid-to-long range weapons, at close range the Spike cannot effectively lock onto enemy tanks, and for the missile to actually hit the target there has to be some considerable distance between players. This is why playing as a sniper is recommended. The Spike missile can lock onto enemy aircraft too but they need to be very close and flying relatively slowly in comparison to the missile for it to reach the target. Mobility-wise, you will not be lacking on maps with roads, but take note of areas with mud/snow as they will make the Freccia go slower. Armour-wise, the Freccia is actually surprisingly good for an IFV, it can withstand low-level autocannon fire and enemy tank shells if they hit an area of the platform with empty space. Overall the Freccia is a solid addition to any top tier Italian ground forces lineup.
General info
Survivability and armour
The Freccia is protected against low to medium calibre munitions, frontally is where its most effective. Enemy artillery can be a danger but if hit close to the vehicle the armour is good enough to protect the crew without issue.
Armour type:
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | ___ mm | ___ mm Top ___ mm Bottom |
___ mm | ___ - ___ mm |
| Turret | ___ - ___ mm Turret front ___ mm Gun mantlet |
___ - ___ mm | ___ - ___ mm | ___ - ___ mm |
| Cupola | ___ mm | ___ mm | ___ mm | ___ mm |
Notes:
Mobility
Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 123 | 25 | 29.2 | _,___ | 1,049 | __.__ | 35.92 |
| Realistic | 111 | 23 | _,___ | 550 | __.__ | 18.84 | |
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
Main armament
| 25 mm Oerlikon KBA B02 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 400 (100) | 560 | -10°/+60° | ±180° | Two-plane | 54.5 | 75.5 | 91.7 | 101.4 | 107.9 | 10.40 | 9.20 | 8.48 | 8.00 |
| Realistic | 34.1 | 40.1 | 48.7 | 53.9 | 57.3 | |||||||||
Ammunition
- Default: APDS · HEI-T* · HEI-T*
- M792: HEI-T* · HEI-T* · HEI-T*
- M791: APDS · APDS · APDS
- PMB 090: APFSDS
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | ||||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| HEI-T* | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| APDS | 80 | 79 | 73 | 67 | 61 | 55 | |
| APFSDS | 92 | 90 | 83 | 75 | 62 | 58 | |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| HEI-T* | 1,100 | 0.19 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 54.4 | 79° | 80° | 81° | ||||
| APDS | 1,335 | 0.13 | - | - | - | 75° | 78° | 80° | ||||
| APFSDS | 1,385 | 0.1 | - | - | - | 78° | 80° | 81° | ||||
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ |
Additional armament
Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on about how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.
| Spike-MR missile | Reloading rate (seconds) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity (Belt) | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| 8 (2) | -3°/+20° | - | - | _.__ | _.__ | _.__ | _.__ |
Ammunition
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| Missile details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Range (m) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg) |
Ricochet | ||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ |
Machine guns
| 7.62 mm Beretta MG42/59 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Coaxial | 1,200 (200) | 801 | - | - |
| Pintle | 1,200 (200) | 801 | -8°/+20° | -45°/+120° |
Usage in battles
The Freccia IFV can be a very effective stand off platform that you can use against the enemy team. Unlike other similar IFV's at or above its battle rating, the Freccia is not super effective at at closer distances. The best way to play with the Freccia is flanking the enemy team or getting to spots where enemies wont expect to be be engaged from. The aramament of the Freccia consists of a singular 25 mm Oerlikon autocannon, able to fire APDS and APFSDS when you research and buy the modification for it. It also has access to 2 7.62 machine guns, but these aren't really something which sets the Freccia appart from its peers. The main defining weapon system on the Freccia is known as the Spike MR fire and forget anti tank guided missile. This Israeli made ATGM allows the Freccia to easily dominate in open maps where finding cover is not as common. At the start of matches you can quickly make your way to spots where incoming enemies are spotted and freely fire you ATGM even when you are moving. This strategy allows you to engage and drive away usually before an enemy either see's you or has enough time to react and engage you. The Spike missile allows the Freccia to be best played as a sniper, for example on the Fields of Poland map the Freccia can set up near the woods on both sides of the map and fire at enemies across the map without too much issues. The Spike is not effective at close range due to how the missile is set up to fully function. It requires at least 1-3 seconds of flight time to adjust itself to hit an enemy. At close ranges the Spike will often not do enough damage and the missile was made to hit enemies at the top of their turrets, where the armour is usually at its weakest.
In terms of armour and survivability, the Freccia is very protected against small to medium calibre munitions, enemy anti-air cannons or IFV's will struggle to penetrate you frontally. If penetration happens you still have some internal modules which can sustain the damage before reaching your crew or munitions. That said its is advised that you do not play at close range with the Freccia or on maps which aren't open, although you are somewhat protected an experienced player knows your weakspots. The Freccia weakspots include the turret, which due to crew configuration leads to a swift death if one well placed shot hits you. The other weakspot of the Freccia is at the back, where extra Spike ATGM's are stored, if you haven't used up the Spikes it means that if an enemy fires you there the missiles will explode and you will be knocked out. Low calibre rounds however where the missiles arent present dont actually damage you as there's a lot of empty space on the vehicle. This means that rounds will likely just go through the platform and not hinder you in anyway.
Mobility wise the Freccia is great on road and on maps with sand and snow. Not so good off-road especially without engine modules researched and installed, its quite slow compared to its peers. It doesn't help that the platform is big which usually makes it harder to hide, so again avoid being at close range. Lastly one big issue with the Freccia is the fact the Spikes lock-on is very hard to get to work. You cannot get a lock when enemies are behind a rock even if their turret or behind are exposed. In conclusion the Freccia is a great platform, it has everything classic IFV's would need such a thermal and NV optics, a laser rangefinder, a drone and also a stabilized main cannon.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Mobile platform
- Access to fire-and-forget Spike-MR missiles
- Can fire ATGMs on the move
- Armoured enough to allow it to withstand autocannon fire
- Fast firing 25 mm Oerlikon cannon equipped with APFSDS
- Due to the layout of the vehicle, at times thanks to the empty space enemy rounds will not damage you
Cons:
- Big profile
- Firing Spike ATGMs requires a lock
- Firing at enemies directly behind is an issue if you need to depress your cannon
- Crew layout in the turret can be a problem as enemies can 1 shot you at times
- Due to being wheeled, sometimes when encountering mud or snow you may not be as mobile
History
The story of the Freccia IFV began during the late stages of the Cold war. The Italian army had always seen a need for well-armed wheeled vehicles, so during the Cold War, OTO Melara assisted by Iveco had been working on many different wheeled designs, mainly made in hopes that the Italian army or foreign armies would put said designs into service. Their main goal was to bridge the gap between conventional IFVs and APCs by combining the two. A few designs were created, the first being the B1 Centauro IFVs (also known as Centauro VBC), which would be armed with either a 60 mm HVMS or a 20/25 mm autocannon with ATGMs, primarily based directly on the pre-existing Centauro series of vehicles. Instead of the usual 105 mm Hitfact turret, the vehicle would be modified to allow infantry on board and the installation of conventional IFV turrets. Although interest had been shown, the market during those times was too diluted with the latest designs, and also due to the overwhelming influx of surplus vehicles from nations such as America, would eventually lead to these vehicles to not get picked up.
This didn't stop OTO Melara or Iveco from continuing to work on a new design, however. Years later, the Italian army had set out a new requirement for a new modern vehicle that would be able to successfully replace the obsolete fleet of VCC-2 APCs that had been serving in the Italian armed forces for many years. They decided to go back to the tried and tested design of the B1 Centauro, but unlike the previous attempts, made sure this time that the vehicle was highly modified and had the ability to remain in service for many years ahead, creating the Freccia IFV. Improvements included better armour, better fire control systems, and the integration of an ATGM launcher. For the very first prototypes of the Freccia, the TC-25 Hitfist turret that equipped the Dardo IFV would be installed, becoming known as VBC (PT2). After many tests and the evaluation from the army, that initial design did not stick, likely due to the turret not being very modern, considering it had been designed during the Cold War. Instead, an entirely new turret would be designed from scratch, retaining the same Oerlikon KBA 25 mm automatic cannon but with the option to also include larger calibres such as 30 mm and 40 mm cannons. The new turret was simply named 'Hitfist' (also named Hitfist 25 with 25 mm or Hitfist 30 with 30 mm). The turret structure of the Hitfist would be made of ballistic aluminium alloy with integrated spall liner. In addition, add-on armour was also installed to reach the required ballistic protection level according to STANAG 4569. This turret also had the ability for Spike fire-and-forget ATGMs to be installed, which made the Freccia stand out from its competitors at the time as it wasn't a common occurrence. It gained enough interest for the Italian army to award Iveco and OTO Melara a contract to produce these vehicles for the Italian armed forces.
They were ordered in 2006, first introduced in 2009, and primarily used by the Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo". The Freccia IFV was the first digitized vehicle to enter service in the Italian army, the Italian government ordered a first batch of 249 Freccia, which would all be delivered by 6 June 2017. The Freccia would also be modified, and would spawn new variants such as Mortar carrier,command post, APC, and scout. In terms of mobility, the Freccia IFV is wheeled, and uses the IVECO Diesel 5HP-1500 V6 engine, which produces 550hp, this allows the vehicle to reach speeds of 110 km/h with an overall range of up to 800 km. Armament-wise, as previously mentioned it is equipped with a 25mm auto cannon, and in its anti-tank variant, it installs the Israeli-made Spike, 2 which would be ready to fire, while another 8 missiles are stowed inside the hull. The scout version of this vehicle removed the ATGMs in favour of launchers for the Italian-made 'Horus' drone mounted on the turret. This drone has primarily been used for scouting, and has also previously been seen on Italian army vehicles, such as the C1 Ariete and B1 Centauro da 120. OTO Melara has also shown off a variant of the Freccia IFV mounting the Hitfist 30 mm OWS, which replaces the old 25 mm turret with an unmanned turret mounting a 30 mm autocannon, and an ATGM launcher which can use Kornet, Spike, and Ingwe ATGMs. This variant has mainly been an option for export, this was further proved when Russia showed an interest in acquiring a multitude of the Centauro family variants, which included the Freccia. When Italy sent over the vehicles, one of the Freccias there mounted the 30 mm. The Italian army at one point showed interest in this version, but ultimately did not pick it. Lastly, in terms of upgrade programs, the Freccia IFV is currently undergoing a mid-life update to its FCS and other electronic equipment. It is also planned in the future for it to install some sort of active protection system to further increase the survival of the crew and vehicle. Overall the vehicle has proved to be very effective and continues to serve in the Italian army, and likely will for many years to come.
Devblog
The Freccia VBM (Veicolo Blindato Medio - “medium armored vehicle”) Infantry fighting vehicle was built on the chassis of the Centauro B1 tank destroyer and designed to support these vehicles on the battlefield. The Freccia VBM has a modified Hifist Plus turret, a further development of the Dardo IFV turret. The turret is equipped with a 25-mm Oerlikon cannon, on the sides of the turret are launchers for Israeli-made Spike missiles. The vehicle has been in service with the Italian army since 2009.
Media
- Videos
See also
External links
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|---|---|
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